There are nearly 65,000 public EV charging points across the UK, but uneven distribution is limiting uptake in underserved areas, new data reveals.
In some northern regions, the number of chargers per 100,000 people is nearly half that of southern areas. The North East is the only region that didn't see an increase in charge points last quarter.
A report from the Department for Transport and ZapMap shows there were 64,632 public EV chargers as of July 1. The UK aims to install 300,000 charge points by 2030. Despite an 8% increase in the last three months, adding 4,962 new chargers since April 1, 2024, the UK needs 2,800 new devices per month to hit the 2030 target.
The data highlights significant neglect in some regions, with certain areas prioritised over others in the EV transition.
EV Charger Availability Across the UK:
- Scotland: leads the UK in EV charger availability, boasting 103 devices per 100,000 people, well above the UK average of 96 per 100,000.
- England: Second place with 97 chargers per 100,000 people.
- Wales: A respectable 88 chargers per 100,000.
- Northern Ireland: far behind with just 32 chargers per 100,000.
Officials in Northern Ireland are concerned about the lack of charging points, which is causing the region to fall behind the rest of the UK.
England's North-South Divide
- London: has the highest concentration of EV chargers in England, with 234 per 100,000 people.
- West Midlands: 92 chargers per 100,000.
- South East: 82 chargers per 100,000.
- South West: 80 chargers per 100,000.
- North East: 72 chargers per 100,000, though it's the only region not to see an increase in the last quarter.
- North West: 60 chargers per 100,000.
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 56 chargers per 100,000.
What's Causing the Public Charger Divide?
The North-South divide in EV charger availability is largely due to differences in local authority budgets and planning across England. Chargepoint operator Believ surveyed 100 councillors from various regions between September and October 2023, revealing that northern councils face significantly more funding issues than those in the south.
Key Findings:
- Funding Issues: Twice as many councils in the North struggle with funding compared to the South.
- Lack of Plans: One-third of local authorities have no formal EV infrastructure plans. This issue is more pronounced in the North (42%) compared to the South (28%).
- Staffing Shortages: Only 18% of local authorities have dedicated EV infrastructure teams, with many relying on part-time staff. Shockingly, 6% have no staff working on EV infrastructure at all.
Despite increased government funding through initiatives like the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, progress has been slow. The percentage of local authorities with dedicated resources has only increased from 14% to 18% since 2022, while those with no resources have nearly doubled from 3% to 5%.
Guy Bartlett, Believ’s CEO, said: 'There is no doubt local authorities need more support, more resources and more manpower for the EV charging infrastructure challenges they face.
'But rather than rely on public sector funding, local authorities can look to the private sector who can plan, install and maintain charge point infrastructure at zero cost to local councils and help them benefit sooner from revenues generated.'
Why is Northern Ireland falling behind the rest of the UK in EV charging?
EV owners in Northern Ireland are facing challenges due to a lack of a robust public charging network. This makes it difficult for drivers to travel across the country without worrying about finding a charging station.
In January, Sue Robinson, CEO of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), highlighted concerns about Northern Ireland’s public charging network. At that time, Northern Ireland had only 1% of the UK’s chargers, and many of these were outdated and unreliable. As of July 31, 2024, there are just 622 charging points in Northern Ireland, which is only 0.93% of the UK's total public chargers.
Northern Ireland has some of the lowest EV adoption rates in the UK. Areas like Antrim and Newtownabbey and Causeway Coast and Glens, with populations of around 150,000, rank among the slowest in the UK for EV uptake.
A significant issue affecting EV adoption and charger rollout in Northern Ireland is the delay in implementing the Zero Emissions Mandate (ZEV), which requires car makers to increase EV sales from 2024 until the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. The Northern Ireland Assembly was not in session to pass this mandate, causing further delays in the region's EV transition.
Sue Robinson stated, "For every day that the ZEV mandate is not implemented in Northern Ireland there is a cause for concern that the region is falling further behind the rest of the UK in its EV transition and risks being a region which attracts older ICE vehicles, thus impacting their own net-zero targets."
