UK has less than fifth of charge points needed for net zero

New analysis from the Labour Party has found that the UK only has 15 per cent of the charging points it needs to meet net zero.

Labour has warned of a gulf emerging between those who can access the benefits of the transition to electric vehicles and those who will be locked out – because of the patchy access to charging points across the country and the upfront price of vehicles.

According to the analysis, it is currently far more difficult to drive an electric car in the North and Midlands than it is in London or the South because of the serious disparity in the number of charging points. The latest official figures show you are currently four times more likely to find a charging point in London than in Yorkshire.

The Committee on Climate Change estimates that there will need to be around 150,000 public charge points operating in our country by 2025 and these should be ‘widely available across the UK’. The government is currently behind this figure at only 22,790 public charging points – meaning more than 127,000 must be installed in just the next few years.

Under their net zero plan, Labour says that it will make electric vehicle ownership affordable by offering long-term interest-free loans for new and used electric vehicles to those on low to middle incomes to remove the upfront cost barrier. The opposition party is also now pledging to make it easier for people to drive an electric vehicle, wherever they live, by accelerating the roll-out of charging points on streets and targeting areas left out like Yorkshire, the North West and the West Midlands.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, said:  “It’s right to be setting 2030 as the phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars but government is just not providing the support, strategy and leadership to make this transition the boost for jobs it should be and fair for consumers.

“As we saw with the Climate Change Committee’s devastating report last week, this is yet another example where government rhetoric is simply not matched by action and delivery. The government’s failure to roll out charging points across the country and the decision to cut the plug-in grant risks baking in unfairness in our country as we move towards a zero emission future.

“For the minicab driver who relies on their car for work and is thinking the price of an electric car is simply out of their reach. For the commuter who relies on their car but is also worried about being priced out. For those in rural areas, the Midlands and the North where you may not be able to access a charging point.

“Government needs to step up and support new gigafactories, provide the means for consumers on lower and middle-incomes to afford electric vehicles and ensure the charging points are there throughout our country.”