Motorists across the UK are increasingly putting their faith in local councils to improve on-street charging provision.

Fewer than one in 10 drivers are happy with on-street charging in their area, falling as low as 4% in Wales

A new study by Vauxhall has found fewer than one in 10 drivers are happy with on-street charging in their area, falling as low as 4% in Wales – and 75% expect their local councils to be the main driving force behind accessible on-street charging installations.

According to Vauxhall, only 30% of respondents say motorists who own or want to own an EV are supported by their local council, with numbers noticeably lower in regions outside of London.

The new research comes ahead of the local and mayoral elections in England and Wales – taking place on 2 May – as motorists note an absence of conversation around charging infrastructure from candidates.

While issues concerning motorists are never far from the news, Vauxhall’s study found that only 25% of respondents noticed issues around charging infrastructure playing a role in the political manifestos and canvassing of local candidates, suggesting it has dropped off the political agenda.

On-street charging access is essential to ensure drivers can charge electric vehicles with ease and convenience, especially for the c.40% of drivers in the country without access to a driveway.

Vauxhall introduced its Electric Streets of Britain campaign to address the lack of on-street charging provision in the UK, and support councils across the country with the acceleration of local charging infrastructure.

Launched last year, the initiative includes an online database for drivers to register charging needs in their area.

And Vauxhall has established an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help local authorities, working with leading charging operators Char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge.

The registrations to Vauxhall’s Electric Streets of Britain hub mirror the concerns expressed through the latest research. High levels of interest for charge point installations were logged in cities including Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham – all in localities where a large percentage of drivers told Vauxhall EV owners require further support from their local authority.

Recent figures show London holds up to 60% of the UK’s on-street chargers, with wider regions lagging. Such charging inequality is apparent in Vauxhall’s most recent research, as London was found to be the only region of the country where the majority of motorists (60%) say EV drivers are supported by their local council. London was also the only area where over 50% of drivers noticed issues around EV infrastructure playing a role in political campaigning ahead of local elections.

James Taylor, managing director, Vauxhall, said: “Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is just one of many concerns that should be discussed in great detail ahead of this year’s local and mayoral elections. While recent figures show charge point numbers are increasing, our latest research highlights how drivers are increasingly reliant on their local authorities to make sure infrastructure needs are being met.

“Our Electric Streets of Britain initiative was launched to support local authorities, working with our partners to educate councils on the importance of installing more accessible on-street charging to ensure no driver is left behind on the UK’s journey to electric. We hope to see local councils listening to these drivers who are reliant on their support to provide confidence and ensure motorists across the country feel they can join the electric transition efficiently and safely.”

UK motorists who want to have on-street residential EV chargers installed near them can indicate their interest via the Vauxhall campaign at www.electricstreets.co.uk.

Recent research by charge point operator Believ suggests local authorities are struggling to implement their electric vehicle infrastructure plans, seriously putting at risk the Government’s ambition to have 300,000 public charge points available by 2030. Its analysis indicates many local authorities have fallen significantly behind in their intended plans, with almost half now pushing the deadline for completion beyond the 2030 ambition.

The Government recently confirmed its intention to introduce laws to require local transport authorities in England to produce local charging strategies if they have not done so as part of local transport plans. The plans, announced in October 2023, will include the requirement for councils to produce electric vehicle charging strategies for their area and ensure provision of charge points, including for council-owned car parks.

In England, the recently introduced LEVI Fund supports local authorities to plan and deliver charging infrastructure for residents without off-street parking. This is via capital funding to support charge point delivery and capability funding to ensure that local authorities have the staff and capability to plan and deliver charging infrastructure.

In the latest round of LEVI funding, announced hot on the heels of approval of the first five local authority applications in February, grants worth over £185m were awarded to councils from Torbay to Tees Valley, which can choose where is best to install charge points in their local area.