Around 74 per cent of electric vehicle owners are unhappy with the state of charging infrastructure, according to a recent report from the consumer company Which?
The report, based on a survey of almost 1,500 Which? members who own an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid vehicle, found that nearly half (48 per cent) of drivers who use public charging infrastructure find it a challenge to find a charging point in good working condition. Meanwhile, four in 10 (40 per cent) reported that they have experienced a non-working charger, while 43 per cent have faced ‘technical issues’ with charging points.
Which? has called on the Government to extend the planned reliability standard for rapid charge points to cover all public charge points, to drive improvements across the entire infrastructure.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s Transport Spokesperson, said: “Electric vehicles will have a growing importance in the country’s journey towards reducing greenhouse emissions from the way we travel.
“Councils are already working with government and industry on planning and delivering for the ever-growing demand for cleaner transport.
“Reliability and ease of use of the charging infrastructure will be vital to continue attracting more people to make the switch to greener transport.
“Councils need long-term financial support from government so they can help ensure there are robust and accessible local charging networks to help our communities and businesses to adopt cleaner travel and tackle climate change.”
