Huge blow for EV drivers as number of chargers plunges across six UK regions – is your area affected?
THE NUMBER of chargers for EVs has dropped across six counties in England.
That’s according to new figures published by the Department for Transport that suggests some regions are being left behind in the transition to electric vehicles.
The new study shows there are now fewer public charging points in Gloucestershire, Devon, Kent, Norfolk, West Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear than at the beginning of the summer, with a fall also shown in Northern Ireland.
On-street chargers reportedly fell from 725 to 636 between July 1 and October 1 in Tyne and Wear – which equates to 12 per cent.
And in Kent they fell from 837 to 823, while in Devon there was a fall of 539 to 528 and 278 to 273 in Gloucestershire.
There were smaller falls acorss West Yorkshire, Norfolk and Northern Ireland.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, this is the first drop in most of these areas since 2019, and is believed a result of firms decommissioning financially unviable chargers.
However, DtF believe these figures likely reflect the installation of new devices, which owners and operators can choose to temporarily or permanently decommission.
A DfT spokesperson told The Sun: “This analysis fails to see the bigger picture – all six counties mentioned, as well as Northern Ireland, have seen solid year-on-year increases in their number of chargepoints.
“We‘ve put more than £2bn into supporting the transition to electric vehicles, and the number of public chargepoints across the country has increased by 42 per cent since October last year.”
This comes after a warning has been issued to UK drivers over new driving laws that could be announced this month.
Meanwhile, industry experts have urged elderly motorists to carry a certain card with them behind the wheel which could provide prioritised road side assistance for those with hidden disabilities