Two thirds of local authorities have no plans to install EV chargers

A freedom of information request (FoI) revealed that almost two thirds (66%) of local authorities did not have any plans to roll out electric vehicle charge points (EVCPs). In September 2021, leading electrical industry trade body ECA issued a freedom of information request (FoI) to 344 local authorities across the UK on EVCPs. A total of 241 (70%) replied.

Only one third (33%) of local authorities could confirm they had an EVCP strategy in place. Nearly half (48%) said they did not currently operate any EVCPs. Nearly two thirds (60%) have no funds earmarked for EVCPs to be installed in future. With government plans to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the lack of charging infrastructure could prove a significant setback.

Comments revealed a lack of ‘joined-up’ policy from central Government. One local authority representative said, “One of the barriers [to EVCP installation] is the uncoordinated approach – it’s not joined-up enough.”

These findings followed a disappointing 2021 budget announcement and long-awaited net zero strategy. (A FoI request conducted by ECA in March 2020 found that over half of public sector bodies were not planning for net zero carbon by 2050.)

Luke Osborne, ECA’s Energy & Emerging Technologies Solutions Advisor, said “The electrical and building services industry has the potential to build and maintain the green infrastructure we need to deliver net zero carbon by 2050 and make Government’s promises a reality.

“But with public interest in electric vehicles (EVs) reaching an all-time high, the worrying lack of plans to install charge points will seriously hold us back in our pursuit of net zero – and stunt the growth of a booming market. A key focus for local authorities should be enabling constituents without off-street parking to readily charge with ease.”

A report produced by the Green Jobs Task Force in early 2021 showed that the UK could produce up to 1.6 million EVs by 2040 and 50,000 vehicle technicians will need retraining or upskilling by 2025 to meet predicted demand.

ECA’s 2,700 member businesses, with a combined turnover of over £4 billion, ranging from SMEs to large, nationwide contracting businesses, are at the forefront of grid decarbonisation and the electrification of heat and transport. ECA produces exclusive guidance to help its members deliver net zero carbon skills and technologies. Learn more here.

This article is based on a press release supplied on 8 November 2021 by Omar Khalil, Communications Manager, ECA.

--ECA

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