Why Finding Electric Car Charging Points in the UK Is Problematic

With more people in the UK considering buying their first electric car,

thoughts immediately turn to the all-important question – where can I charge my electric vehicle in the UK? 

Though not an issue to consider when purchasing petal or diesel cars, current EV drivers in the UK still face a lack of charging points.

So why is the UK so behind?

Though they have indeed rolled out 50% more charging points in the past year, statistics suggest sizeable gaps remain.

Two reasons suggest the lack of provision. One is the eyewatering figure of building such a charging network. An estimated 45.9 billion has been proposed by the Government to put in place adequate charging points by 2050. Currently, most charging points are those offered by private firms.

The other worrying reason for reduced numbers of UK electric car charging points is simply lack of space. Within many UK cities, parking is restricted throughout the towns. So, charging points are frequently allocated to car parking centres.

Yet, this means reducing the number of parking spaces, thus losing paying customers. 

Resident charging also suffers here due to many areas of the UK losing valuable green spaces and recreational areas at an alarming rate. 

At present, electric car drivers in the UK are advised to plan ahead for their journeys as much as possible. This means looking to those places such as petrol stations, service stations, shopping centres, and leisure centres offering potential stops along the way. 

However, the Government does have plans to introduce a new law insisting that all new UK homes built will have an EV charging point. Fortunately, it’s a problematic issue currently being addressed.