Disparity in EV Charger Distribution

The south of England continues to outpace the rest of the country in terms of EV charger installations, according to new figures from the Department for Transport (DfT). Over the past year, London has seen the majority of the 20,612 new chargers installed, with the number of chargers per 100,000 people increasing from 152 to 234.

Regional Comparison

The West Midlands, the only region outside of the south to break the 80 chargers per 100,000 mark, experienced the second-highest growth rate, increasing from 59 to 92 chargers per 100,000. The North East, previously the second-best catered region outside of London, dropped to fifth place with 72 chargers per 100,000. The South East and South West also saw significant growth, with charger numbers increasing from 61 to 82 per 100,000 and from 51 to 80 per 100,000, respectively.

Yorkshire, the North West, and the East Midlands have the lowest number of chargers per 100,000, with 56, 60, and 63 respectively. The East follows closely behind with 70 chargers per 100,000.

Regional Disparity

The North East is the only region where the total number of chargers has decreased since April, while London has seen a significant increase of 1238 chargers during the same period.

Addressing the Issue

The growing regional disparity in EV charger distribution has raised concerns, prompting Autocar to contact the DfT for comment on their plans to rectify the situation. SMMT chief Mike Hawes emphasized the importance of increasing charge-point accessibility across all regions to encourage more consumers to switch to electric vehicles.

Overall Charger Statistics

The DfT’s data reveals that there are now 64,632 chargers installed across the UK, a 47% increase since July 2023. Of these, 19% are fast chargers (50kW or more), 60% are slow chargers (between 3kW and 8kW), and only 8% fall into the fastest category (150kW-plus).

Future Challenges

The new Labour government has pledged to accelerate the roll-out of charge points, with a particular focus on “en route” chargers located on motorways. However, this commitment may face obstacles due to recent announcements by Chancellor Rachel Reeves regarding potential cuts to transport funding.