MOTORING experts have revealed the worst spots across the UK for EV rapid charging points – with thousands of drivers affected in two major cities.
According to data collected by vehicle remarketing experts Aston Barclay, there is just one publicly accessible rapid charger for every 81 EVs on the road, with some areas lagging behind others on charging infrastructure.
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In fact, their numbers show huge disparities across the UK, with Portsmouth EV drivers the worst hit – with just one charger for every 2,886 EVs on their roads.
Southampton, which saw similar figures to their neighbours in Portsmouth, and Stockport are two other areas that see EV drivers struggling to find rapid charging points.
This comes despite interest in EVs seemingly becoming a trend, with over 941,692 registered electric battery vehicles on the road compared to 11,590 rapid chargers – according to new Department for Transport statistics collected at the end of April 2024.
That equates to just one rapid charger for every 81 EVs in the UK.
Interestingly, Kensington and Chelsea is the only London borough to make the top 20 list, with Camden, the borough with the second largest disproportion, only making it to 23rd.
However, there are still many UK cities that boast a good number of rapid chargers for EV drivers, with Dumfries and Galloway, Milton Keynes and West Berkshire all having one rapid charging point for every 12 EVs.
Albert Parnell, Group EV Lead at Aston Barclay said: “The introduction of electric vehicles has been the biggest revolution in the motoring industry in decades, and while car manufacturers and suppliers are preparing for the longer term impact, such as the 2035 ICE ban, it is important that the UK infrastructure can keep up with ownership demand.
“Depending on battery size, rapid chargers allow drivers to fully charge a vehicle in 30 minutes, compared to 6 to 8 hours for a standard charger – having more accessibility to faster charging capabilities will be the key to ensuring EV ownership continues momentum”.
“As a business we are investing heavily in our EV infrastructure, including having more, faster chargers at each of our auction centres.
“As more drivers across the UK make the change to more sustainable modes of transport, we encourage more investment for efficient charging methods to be implemented across the UK”.
This comes as the UK’s seaside towns with the cheapest parking have been revealed – with drivers paying just £1.98 for a day out at an “underrated” spot.
And elsewhere, a host of popular car insurance hacks have been debunked – including how parking in a garage could cost you more.
