The number of public charge points per EV has fallen to its lowest level since 2018; a direct result of the pandemic but also rising EV take-up, according to Cornwall Insight.

Analysis by the firm has found that for every single EV in the UK, there were 0.28 public charge points in September 2020 – equating to one per four EV drivers.

This compares to 0.31 public charge points in January 2018 when the company starting researching the subject.

Cornwall Insight said the decline was both the result of Covid-19 restrictions stopping the installation of charge points but also a rise in the number of EVs on the road – year-to-date figures in September 2020 showed registrations of pure electric vehicles were up 165%.

Katie Hickford, analyst at Cornwall Insight, said: “Despite the valid reasons for the slow-down in the number of charge point installations, the lack of charging infrastructure at the very time EV sales are starting to gather pace could potentially make it difficult to galvanise public opinion that the switch to EVs will be an easy transition.

“Although the majority of EV charging will happen at home, there are definite gaps in public charging provision. It is not simply about the number of chargers; they also need to be the right type, i.e. rapid or a slower speed and in the right locations.”