Regulator raises concern over electric car charging
Electric car charging provision at motorway service areas, on local roads and in rural areas is inadequate, the competition regulator has warned.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the infrastructure must be improved ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
It expressed concern about the choice and availability of places to plug in an electric car at motorway service stations.
We’ve set out measures to ensure a national network of #EV chargepoints is in place ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
The UK has around 25,000 chargepoints and forecasts suggest more than 10 times this will be needed.
👉 https://t.co/42v40QxFjd pic.twitter.com/8GQALKc81A
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) July 23, 2021
The rollout of on-street charging by local authorities – which many drivers without off-street parking rely on – is “too slow”, while rural areas “risk being left behind” due to a lack of investment in chargepoints, according to the regulator.
The CMA cited research indicating that difficulties with charging could stop motorists switching to electric cars.
Anxiety over the reliability of chargepoints, comparing prices and paying for charging “risk reducing people’s confidence and trust”, the CMA said.
