Plans to roll out 300,000 electric vehicle charge points across the UK by 2030 risks creating a “regional divide” between well-connected areas in London and the south-east and the rest of the country, according to the spending watchdog.
The National Audit Office found that the government was on track to meet its goal for 300,000 charge points to be fitted by 2030, but that large swathes of the country were missing out.
It warned that London has more charge points installed per capita than any other region of the UK. Overall, 44% of all public charge points have been installed in London and the south-east, while only 15% of charge points in England are in rural areas, according to the NAO.
Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said the government’s 2030 goal “appears achievable”, but there was “more to do to ensure adequate coverage in all parts of the country”.
The watchdog said that a government programme set up to support local authorities in rolling out charge points with £450m of funding was expected to install 100,000 chargers, but had faced delays because local authority plans were taking longer to develop than the government expected.
In addition, the rollout has been hindered because it is “slower and more expensive than it needs to be” for charge point operators to get planning permissions and electricity grid connections, the NAO said.
The NAO said the UK should do more to prioritise the rollout of public charge points, particularly in sufficient numbers at key locations along long-distance journeys to give drivers confidence to switch to EVs.
“This may not happen at the pace and in the locations needed without government intervention,” the NAO warned.
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Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the chair of the House of Commons’ public accounts committee, said issues with planning permissions and electricity grid connections were “acting as roadblocks to further progress”.
“If the government is serious about encouraging the take-up of electric vehicles, it must ensure the public can reach reliable, convenient and accessible charging points,” he said.
The government has been approached for comment.