The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) holds an evidence session
scrutinising progress towards targets for the installation of
public charge points for electric vehicles on Monday
22nd January at
3:30pm. The session follows the National Audit Office's
(NAO) recent report on the
topic.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has estimated that at least
300,000 public charge points will be needed to support the
Government's ambition to phase out the sale of new petrol and
diesel vehicles by 2030, a target which reports suggest it is on
track to achieve. However, with stretches of major A-roads absent
public charging points, the PAC could ask how DfT will overcome
barriers including poor grid connectivity to ensure it is able to
meet targets.
The NAO has reported that 44% of all public charge points are
currently located in London and the South-East. There are
currently more charge points in Westminster than in the whole of
the North East and Northern Ireland combined. The PAC may
question if a single target is leading to regional disparities
going unchecked and may ask what can be done to reverse this
trend.
By 2035, 1.35m disabled drivers are expected to be reliant on
public charge points. However, given accessibility requirements
have largely been left out of the rollout to date, the DfT could
be asked how they plan to address accessibility
issues.
Despite strong engagement from local authorities with DfT
programmes, there are concerns that changes to regulations could
mean they find themselves vying for contracts in a more
competitive and congested market than first anticipated. The PAC
may ask how DfT will look to mitigate risks and could question
how the £950million allocated to the Rapid Charge Fund, none of
which has yet been spent, could be used to remove barriers.
Witnesses
From 3.30pm:
· Jo Shanmugalingam, Second
Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport
· Nick Shaw Deputy Director,
Joint Head, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles
· Richard Bruce, CBE
Director, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles Directorate
