A disparity in access to budgets and planning between local authorities across England to support the rollout of a public sector electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, is exacerbating a north-south divide, according to research by EV chargepoint operator (CPO) Believ.
While 33% of all local authorities surveyed claimed to have no formal EV infrastructure plan in place, the figure rose to 40% for the North.
Believ said the difference in budgetary issues is “alarming”, with 70% of respondents in the North describing access to sufficient funding as ‘a significant barrier’, compared with 45% in the South of England (excluding London).
According to Believ, the report includes data that demonstrates chargepoints are unevenly distributed across the country and disproportionately affecting drivers in the North.
London (34% of the total) and the South East (12%) have the highest proportion of chargepoints per vehicle, whilst the North East (3%) and the North West (7%) trail behind.
“Consequently, drivers’ access to public charging facilities in the North has fallen by up to 50% in the last year, as the number of chargepoints per vehicle has failed to keep pace with the rise in demand from the increasing number of EVs on the road,” the report states.
Believ said that calls for targeted funding are “far louder in the North”, with 60% arguing for equity compared with 36% in the South.
Furthermore, when comparing local authorities that have, and have not, received the UK government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding, some 33% of LEVI-funded authorities believe support should be focussed in these areas, in contrast to 70% of unfunded authorities.
“These North/South and funded/unfunded disparities suggest local authorities understandably focus on their localities without appreciating the nationwide need – which is why national government must ensure funding is equitably allocated, or risk further increasing the North-South divide,” said Guy Bartlett, CEO of Believ.
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“The challenge for many local authorities is that they feel they cannot justify using local funds to install EV infrastructure while local residents are struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.”
According to the report, some 43% of respondents state installing chargepoints is too expensive, and almost all of them think residents living in deprived areas cannot afford to buy EVs, so there is no need to build public charging facilities in their area.
Yet 51% of UK drivers purchase second-hand cars, and the price of second-hand EVs is, said Believ, comparable with petrol and diesel. Thus, the CPO believes that drivers who want to buy an EV because of the lower running costs may be put off by a lack of accessible charging.
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Believ’s research suggests that the South East has succeeded in driving consumers to switch to EVs by first building a robust charging infrastructure, rather than waiting for demand from residents.
The region reportedly had the highest number of chargepoints outside London and subsequently has the highest number of used EV sales, totalling 28,107 in 2023.
Bartlett added: “We must address disparities in the pace and scale of the rollout across the UK. It is crucial to ensure an equitable transition to sustainable transportation and mitigate the risk of a growing North-South divide.
“Local authorities,” he continued, “need support for the enormous task of fulfilling the government’s net zero ambition. They should also be encouraged to use the private sector to help them fund and build EV infrastructure so that no community is left behind.”
Achievements and innovations in EV charging infrastructure will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
