The UK is 20 years behind schedule on its target for electric vehicle charging points, new analysis shows, despite the Government’s insistence it will not ditch a pledge to ban new petrol cars by 2030.
Ministers want to install 300,000 public charging points across Britain by 2030 to meet fresh demand for electric vehicles as the UK weans itself off polluting cars.
But figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that progress has been slower than expected, with just 3,870 chargers installed in the three months to July.
It brings the total number of public charging points across the UK to just 44,020 – well below the target for 2030.
It means that at the current rate, just 114,640 points would be installed by 2030, and it would take around 27 years to roll out 300,000 – two decades later than the Government’s goal.
It comes despite Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, insisting earlier this week that the 2030 target for banning new petrol and diesel car sales is an “immovable” deadline.
Mr Gove’s intervention came after the Prime Minister cast doubts on the Government’s net zero agenda, as the Conservative party considers watering down its climate pledges to shore up votes at the next general election.
The Housing Secretary said “we need to review” plans to phase out gas boilers from newly built homes by 2025, amid fears that it could place too much pressure on Britons struggling during the cost of living crisis.
But asked on Times Radio whether the 2030 deadline for banning new petrol cars was “immoveable”, Mr Gove replied: “Yes.”
Downing Street has insisted Rishi Sunak stands by the policy, despite the Prime Minister repeatedly refusing to provide a definitive answer on the subject.
Speaking to broadcasters on Monday, Mr Sunak said: “We’re going to make progress towards net zero but we’re going to do that in a proportionate and pragmatic way that doesn’t unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives – that’s not what I’m interested in and prepared to do.”
Labour accused ministers of being “asleep at the wheel” over the issue earlier this year, with shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accusing the Government of “leaving our world-class car industry in limbo”.
Meanwhile, industry experts have insisted there is little point in introducing a zero-emission vehicle mandate for car manufacturers if public charging does not keep pace with electric vehicle registrations.
Figures released by the RAC earlier this year showed that less than a quarter of motorway services currently have the target number of chargers to serve the number of battery electric vehicles on the road in the UK – which hit 810,000 last month.
The car club said it meant the Government was “unlikely” to meet its target to have at least six high-powered electric charge points at every motorway service station in England by the end of 2023.
Simon Williams, a spokesperson for the RAC, said rolling out a substantial high-power charging infrastructure was vital to “give drivers confidence they can make journeys beyond the range of their vehicles” and ensure more people switch to electric cars.
While the majority of electric vehicle users charge their cars at home, around a third of British households do not have off-street parking where they can use their own wall box chargers.
The figure rises to around 60 per cent in major cities and town centres, according to analysis of Zap-Map data by charge point firm Andersen, suggesting it may take even longer to drive up the switch to electric vehicles in more densely populated areas.
