Vauxhall has conducted an investigation that reveals more than 70% of UK councils currently do not have a published strategy in place for residential on-street charging for EVs.
The new findings from a Freedom of Information application across 414 councils and local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland found that 69% of local authorities have yet to install any on-street chargers.
According to the 289 councils who provided data up to July 1st, only 14,188 new charge points are planned for installation this year, well behind the run rate required to hit the Government’s target of having 300,000 running by the end of 2030.
In response, Vauxhall has set up the ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ programme to ensure drivers without driveways are not left behind in the transition to electric mobility.
Working with charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge, Vauxhall has set up an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help councils understand the scale of on-street charging issues, and the solutions available, ahead of the Government’s planned ban on the sale of new combustion engined cars in 2030.
Vauxhall has also set up a new national database at http://electricstreets.co.uk/ for the public to register their needs.
Of the councils who responded to the investigation across the UK, 45% confirmed they had no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.
James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said, “Accessibility to charge points near your home is critical to the transition to electric vehicle ownership in the UK. We want to galvanise the needs and interests of everyone, from the public, to the councils and the charging operators to make sure that anyone without a driveway is part of that journey.”
