Millions of motorists to prioritise electric cars amid major boost to chargers - 'Surging ahead'
Drivers are increasingly more likely to switch to an electric vehicle
PA
Three out of five drivers are more likely to consider on-street electric car charging as a priority when moving house in the next five years as more motorists become more tempted to move away from petrol and diesel.
A recent poll found that 60 per cent of surveyed drivers would consider accessibility to an EV charger as an important commodity when moving.
By comparison, only a third of residents said they would not consider electric car charging options when looking to move house.
The views come from a poll which looked at the demand for public charging infrastructure across London which still remains a barrier for many drivers looking to buy an EV.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
On-street chargers have been deployed by local councils across the UK
GETTYRobin Heap, Founder and CEO of Zest, said: “Many London councils are already surging ahead deploying thousands of on-street electric car chargers for residents.
“What our poll reveals is that we need to keep that momentum up and build it out to other boroughs, because the demand is clearly there from Londoners who are looking to move house over the next five years.”
“It is worth remembering, by installing on-street chargers, we do not just make it easier for London motorists to switch to EV, but in turn, all residents end up benefiting from quieter streets and cleaner air, which is particularly important in cities like London.”
While London remains persistent in promoting electric vehicles, with it having the biggest charging network in the UK, many other regions still have poor networks.
Zest’s figures highlighted the need for London boroughs, and other cities in the UK, to keep rolling out new infrastructure over the next five years. Most recently Lewes District Council installed 64 public charging points for electric vehicles across 11 of its car parks.
The additional chargers form part of the Government’s ambitious strategy to roll out 300,000 public charge points across the country in the next six years in a bid to accelerate the electric car push.
Councillor Wendy Maples said: "With the need to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles, residents and visitors expect EV provision and we are pleased to announce that the infrastructure is now up and running across a number of our district car parks."
Zapmap data recorded more than 70,000 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, with roughly 850,000 devices at homes and workplaces.
Another barrier to EV adoption includes a lack of awareness about electric vehicles. Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the ECIU, explained that many petrol car drivers assume EV drivers spend a lot more time visiting charge points than in actuality.
Matt Galvin, UK managing director of Swedish car company Polestar, criticised the lack of customer incentives in Britain to help push out more appeal for electric cars.
He described the situation as "the worst" in Europe for encouraging the transition to electric cars despite the UK remaining adamant to have 100 per cent of new car sales electric by 2035.
The push for more electric cars forms part of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate which requires manufacturers to have 22 per cent of total sales come from electric vehicles before the end of the year.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
There are more than 70,000 public EV chargers
Scrap Car ComparisonThese targets will continue to increase over the next decade, reaching 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.
You may like
