- Charging from lampposts 46% cheaper than on-the-road rapid
charging
- Homecharging as low as 4.5p/kWh (off-peak), just 10% of
on-the-road rapid charging
Figures released today by the Department for Transport show that
the number of on-street residential chargepoints funded by the
governments grant scheme currently stands at 2,641 with a further
8,415 approved but not yet installed*. However, the AA is warning
that the Department for Transports’ target of 120,000 on-street
chargers by 2030** could be missed if more isn’t done to help
promote on-street charging.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said; “With around
a third of households without any dedicated off-street parking,
providing accessible and affordable local charging solutions is
key.
“Ideally, drivers would like to charge as close as possible to
their home, yet with around 10,000 on-street chargepoints
currently planned, the installation rate needs to increase to
more than 1,000 chargepoints each month just to meet the
government’s target. We should also remember that that many rural
areas suffer from a lack of off-street parking and we are
concerned that on-street charging could become bookmarked as an
urban problem.
“Sadly just 87 councils out of almost 400 across the United
Kingdom*** have applied for the on-street residential chargepoint
grant since 2017. This needs to dramatically improve so that EV
drivers across the country have access to good, local
chargepoints.
“While there is much talk about boosting the number of rapid
chargers to cater for those without off-street parking, the
reality is that most want to charge close to home for both
convenience and cost. Drivers want to keep the costs down and
would prefer a variety of charging options rather than keep
relying on increasing rapid charging costs.
“Charging from a lamppost is cheaper than a typical on-the-road
rapid chargepoint with costs as low as 24p/kWh compared to around
45p/kWh at a rapid chargepoint. Those with a homecharger can
unlock even cheaper rates if they can find a dedicated off-peak
EV tariff. Costs for on-the-road street charging could become
more affordable should the government match our calls to cut VAT
on public charging to mirror domestic energy costs.
“Every additional chargepoint installed helps reduce the
over-exaggerated worries of range anxiety and legitimate concerns
drivers won’t find a working charger when they need one. These
concerns are always in the top three barriers to EV ownership, so
increasing the number and type of chargers, as well as making
them more reliable, would help tackle these fears.”
ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
* https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electric-vehicle-charging-device-grant-scheme-statistics-april-2022
**https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1065576/taking-charge-the-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-strategy.pdf
***
There are 333 local councils in England: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-government-structure-and-elections
There are 32 local councils in Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/policies/local-government/
There are 22 local councils in Wales: https://senedd.wales/NAfW%20Documents/tb-07-024.pdf%20-%2028072009/tb-07-024-English.pdf
There are 11 local councils in Northern Ireland:https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/administrativegeography/northernireland
