In this post, we will talk about the disparity in EV charging points across the country.
In a document released by the Department for Transport, a detailed number of EV chargers and their locations were focused. According to this document, Scotland was leading in the number of rapid chargers while London leading overall.
However, Southend, Stoke-on-Trent, and Birmingham have the worst EV charging system. This data was provided by Uswitch, an energy comparison website.
Are you wondering how many charging points there are in the country? Here is all you need to know about the EV charging provisions across the country.
Increase in the Number of Charge Points
For those who do not know, Zap Map is a charge point platform that provides information regarding the charge station.
According to this platform, there has been an increase in the number of charging stations. These charge points have both rapid and fast chargers. At the beginning of 2020, approximately, 1,436 chargers were installed, out of which 283 were rapid chargers.
It was reported that London offers the largest number of chargers. London, at 57, provided chargers per 100,000 residents. On the other hand, Scotland at 38 while the country at 27.
Rapid Chargers Installed in the Country
As far as rapid chargers are concerned, Scotland has 8.9 whereas London has more than the country average, 4.8. According to the report, the geographical distribution of rapid chargers is uneven. This is because of government funding or demand for chargers.
Besides this, most of the charging devices are funded by the private sector. Recently, the government announced to provide £500 million for the next five years to provide a fast-charging network. The government wants to expand the charging network. They aim to have a rapid charging point every 30 miles.
The Disparity in Charging Points Can Be Improved
Uswitch cross-referenced the number of registered EV drivers against the public EV charge points. In 2019, there was an increase of 2.5% of car sales. In this report, it was found that Stoke-on-Trent, Southend, and Birmingham had the worse charging stations. Birmingham had 174.9 EVs per charging point, Southend had 201.8 and Stoke-on-Trent has 268.
The cities Bristol, Dundee, and Milton Keynes had the best-charging stations. Dundee had 28 EVs per charge station, Milton Keynes 23.4, and Bristol 22.9.
Government Funding for Charging Stations
In March, the government announced to provide £500 million funds for rapid chargers. This fund will not be beneficial for cities like Southend, Birmingham, and Stoke-on-Trent, but also cities having worse charging stations.
It is anticipated that by 2030, 2500 rapid chargers will be installed. The country will even see an increase in the number of electric cars on the roads. This project is a great initiation to improve the future of transport. It is an excellent way to make the transport system more sustainable and cleaner.
Therefore, with this initiation, the government is working towards bringing an end to the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles.
