Drivers aren't switching on: Publicly funded electric car charging points barely used

  • FoI reveals 349 of 1,392 charging points used between July and September
  • 75 per cent failed to attract a single driver
  • Installing electric car infrastructure across Britain has cost £16million so far
  • Source London scheme accounts for £8.3million of total cost

By Anna Edwards

Published: | Updated:


They were hailed as the future of environmentally friendly motoring and millions of pounds of tax payer subsidies were spent enrolling them - but the electric car has failed to spark any enthusiasm for drivers.

Out of a total of 1,392 installed on London streets, just 349 charging points were used between July and September.

Installed at a cost of £8.3 million, 75 per cent failed to attract a single driver, latest figures released under a Freedom of Information request revealed.

Out of a total of 1,392 installed on London streets, just 349 charging points were used between July and September

Out of a total of 1,392 installed on London streets, just 349 charging points were used between July and September

There are 8,600 publicly funded charging points across the UK, The Times reported, but only 16,546 electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in the country.

Critics have called on the Government to make more efficient carbon savings by investing in infrastructure and projects that encourage walking or cycling.

The Government has invested £16 million on electric car infrastructure in Britain.

The information followed a FoI request by Stephen Knight, environment spokesman for the Lib Dems in the London Assembly.

Installed at a cost of £8.3 million, 75 per cent failed to attract a single driver

Installed at a cost of £8.3 million, 75 per cent failed to attract a single driver

Nick Fairholme, TfL's director responsible for electric vehicles, told The Times: 'Since its launch, nearly 1,400 publicly accessible charging points have been installed across the capital as part of the Source London scheme, making it Europe's largest charging network.

'We have focused on putting in the infrastructure so that motorists know there is somewhere convenient to recharge their vehicle and ensure there is capacity as electric vehicle use becomes more commonplace.'

Despite Britain's car industry being on track for a record year, sales of ‘green’ cars remain slow.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revised its forecast for 2013 from 2.22 million new car registrations to 2.25 million, representing a 10 per cent rise.

A spokesman said: ‘The figures for the last few months have been really encouraging and we expect that to continue.’

Sales of ‘green’ cars – electric and hybrid – account for just 1.5 per cent of the market, but this is set to grow as prices fall. Total sales of alternative-fuel vehicles were 2,952 in October 2013, compared with overall car sales of 157,314.

Sales in the first ten months of 2013 of ‘green’ cars were 28,124, up from 24,266 for the same period in 2012, with total car sales to date topping 1.95million.

In sharp contrast to the overall growing British market, the European car industry is down 5 per cent on last year, although there have been signs of recovery as consumer confidence rises.

 

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