They added: “Chargepoint operators are already working closely with local authorities to deploy chargers where they are needed and take full advantage of the government’s newly opened £450 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund.
“The government must stand firm to its commitments to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars and the critical part of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate must start in 2024 as promised so we can continue this rapid investment into charging infrastructure.”
Responding to the Vauxhall report, a DfT spokesperson told Autocar: “The number of public chargepoints rose by 38% over the last year – a rate that puts us well on the way to the 300,000 figure by 2030 – and we continue to work with industry and local authorities to accelerate this.”
They added that the government expects the majority of public chargepoints to be delivered by the market. It has now launched the £381 million local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) fund for on-street charging and, following a pilot scheme.
Industry executives have warned of road-blocks in the rush to install more chargers, highlighting the slow pace of grid connections.
Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve and ChargeUK member, said in April: “Almost every issue of speed of implementation is down to the speed of grid connections. I’m not kicking the grid here – it was designed for a completely different purpose and adapting it to what we need, while keeping the lights on, is a huge task. But we can often be delayed by months or more waiting for a connection. The process you have to go through is hard at best and infuriating at worst.”