Commenting on the arguments raised, Vicky Read, the CEO of infrastructure trade body ChargeUK, says: “The Government’s 300,000 chargepoint figure is an estimation of the minimum number of chargepoints required by 2030 rather than a target.
“But this is just one way of measuring how well the rollout is going – total charging capacity and proximity to chargers are other metrics,” she said. “Ultimately, key to the EV transition is ensuring that the right chargers need to be available in the right place, so that drivers have confidence that the infrastructure they need will be there for them.”
Roy Williamson, Executive Chair at chargepoint provider Gridserve, told us: “At the current rate of expansion, the UK is set to exceed 300,000 public chargers by 2030. However, simply increasing the number of chargers is not enough. We must ensure these chargers are placed in locations that maximise convenience and accessibility for all drivers.”
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging Network said: “The single numerical target masks the regional differences in population, housing stock and vehicle ownership that determine the composition of charging infrastructure required across the country. It leads to unhelpful criticism that geographical distribution of public charging is uneven, which fails to take account of these nuances.
He adds: “We need much more charging where there are more cars, and more cars that don’t sleep on a private driveway.”
DFT comment
The Department for Transport told Auto Express it’s investing over £2.3billion to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles, building on the 73,000 public chargepoints already available, and has launched a consultation to engage the sector on shaping the road to net zero.
“Nearly 20,000 public chargepoints were added in England last year – making 2024 a record-breaking year for EV infrastructure,” said a spokesperson. “This comes alongside £6billion of private investment in the pipeline by 2030, helping EV owners drive with the confidence that they will never be too far away from a chargepoint.”
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