Vauxhall has teamed up with leading charge point operators on a new campaign to help the 40% of households without off-street parking make the switch to electric.

Some 72% of UK councils have not yet published a strategy for residential on-street charging, according to Vauxhall’s Electric Streets of Britain initiative

Its new Electric Streets of Britain initiative reveals some 72% of UK councils have not yet published a strategy for residential on-street charging. Meanwhile, 69% are yet to install any on-street residential charge points, according to Freedom of Information requests sent to 414 councils across the UK.

According to the 289 councils who provided data up to 1 July 2023, only 14,188 new charge points are planned for installation this year. That’s well behind the run rate required to hit the Government’s target of having 300,000 running by the end of 2030 when the ICE ban kicks in.

And of the councils that responded to the investigation across the UK, 45% confirmed they had no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.

Vauxhall – which has pledged to only sell electric vehicles in the UK by 2028 – has now set up the ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ programme to make sure drivers without driveways are not left behind in the transition to electric mobility – supporting not just private motorists but also business car and van drivers going electric.

Working with leading charging operators Char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge, the carmaker has set up an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help councils understand the scale of on-street charging issues, and the solutions available, ahead of the Government’s planned ban on the sale of new combustion-engined cars in 2030.

Vauxhall has also established a new national database at http://electricstreets.co.uk/ for the public to register their needs, enabling councils to have a better understanding of where demand really lies for on-street charging for both existing and potential EV drivers.

The brand will then share this data with councils and charging operators to ensure investment is focused in the right areas.

James Taylor, managing director at Vauxhall, said: “Accessibility to charge points near your home is critical to the transition to electric vehicle ownership in the UK. We want to galvanise the needs and interests of everyone, from the public, to the councils and the charging operators to make sure that anyone without a driveway is part of that journey.

“We want to help educate and inform the decision-makers, and enable the installation of more chargers, more quickly.”

Vauxhall’s figures chime with latest research by charge point operator (CPO) Believ that indicates more than nine out of 10 (91%) local authorities do not yet have an EV charging infrastructure strategy in place – with time and money proving the main obstacles.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the BVRLA warned that local authorities were missing opportunities to shape fleet-friendly EV charging networks by not consulting with local businesses. The trade association has now developed a pool of resources and guidance to support local authorities and is also encouraging them to sign its ‘Fleet Friendly EV Charging Pledge’ to demonstrate their long-term commitment to cleaner transport.