Uptake of electric vehicles in
Wales is half the average per head than in England and three
times lower than in Scotland, says
Plaid Cymru's has called for
increased investment in electric car charging infrastructure in
Wales, after written questions he tabled revealed Wales is
falling behind England and Scotland in electric car
uptake.
With the UK Government recently announcing a ban on new
petrol, diesel and hybrid cars by 2035, the transition to
electric and hydrogen fuelled vehicles is a significant and
pressing transport and infrastructure challenge.
Research by Consultancy Capital Economics has already shown
that Wales has the lowest number of electric car chargers per
head in the UK, with coverage in rural areas particularly
poor.
However figures provided by the Department in Transport in
response to a question tabled by have shown that in the
first nine months of 2019, only 566 electric vehicles were bought
in Wales, compared to 1,818 in Scotland and 22,467 in
England.
This means that electric vehicle purchases in England were
on average per head twice as high than in Wales, while uptake in
Scotland was more than three times higher than in
Wales.
In response to these figures, said:
"Though the urgency of decarbonising our transport sector
has never been more apparent, the UK and Welsh Governments need
to do far more to encourage motorists to use electric and other
low emissions vehicles. This includes meeting the scale of the
challenge by properly investing in the infrastructure to underpin
this transition.
"A wide-body of evidence now exists that shows that the
uptake of electric vehicles, and investment in the charging
infrastructure that underpins this transport, is starting to
mirror the geographical inequalities of wealth in the UK.
"Wales is at risk of being left behind in the next
transport revolution. Wales already has the lowest number of
electric car chargers per head, and these figures show that this
is reflected in the low uptake of electric cars in
Wales.
"The UK Government and Labour Welsh government must
urgently match Plaid Cymru's ambition and increase investment in
electric vehicle infrastructure to achieve our climate
goals."
ENDS
Editor's Notes:
https://www.scottishpower.com/userfiles/file/Zero_Carbon_Communities_Report.pdf
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons&member=3943%2C4521
