Soaring EV sales highlight need to plug charging network gaps

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK have increased by 16% year-on-year, further highlighting the need to bolster the UK’s charging network.

New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count and Electric Van Count shows that almost 11,000 pure electric vehicles were registered in the UK last month, up more than 1,500 on February 2022. A further 17,000 hybrid vehicles were sold this February, more than 4,000 than on the previous year.

British Gas EV director Kim Royds said that the continuing rise of EVs “is highlighting gaps in the capacity of the charging network”.

She added: “In order to continue with effective electrification, the UK must address the charging challenges households are facing that are preventing them from making the switch to electric.

“All eyes will be on the Chancellor’s Spring Budget this month, where continued investment to expand the UK’s charging network must remain on the table if we’re to truly champion the adoption of EVs.”

Registrations of pure electric vehicles accounted for just over 17% of all vehicle sales in February and hybrids accounted for more than a quarter of all vehicles registered last month.

The figures come after government was warned that it will miss its 2030 EV public charging point installation target by a “staggering” 20 years if rollout of the devices continues at its current rate.

The government target in its EV strategy, published nearly a year ago, is for there to be 300,000 public charging points by 2030.

According to figures published in January, 37,000 public EV chargers have been installed so far, including 8,800 last year.

Electric Car Count chief executive Ben Nelmes called on the government to revise its EV policy to meet growing demand.

“To sustain the UK’s progress towards electric transport, the government needs to try harder to increase the supply of electric vehicles to the UK,” he said. “The upcoming Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate will incentivise manufacturers to sell electric cars in the UK, ensuring sufficient EVs enter the country or are produced in the UK.

“Finalising the mandate’s specifics as soon as possible is essential given that it’s scheduled to take effect in 2024. Any delay to it being implemented would jeopardise the transition’s pace, and punish drivers who want to switch to electric vehicles doing their part to reduce emissions.”