New research from UK100, the network of mayors and local leaders, shows that the UK's charging infrastructure is likely to creak under demand as there are only 12 rapid electric vehicle chargers in each local council area, fewer than 7 for every 100,000 people in the UK - or 1 charger for every 14,705 people.

â— 136 areas have 5 or fewer rapid chargers which can charge electric cars in less than one hour

â— 1 in 4 consumers expected to buy an electric car in next five years, but current growth in charge points will mean a shortfall of nearly 250,000 chargers by 2032

â— Transport the highest contributor to emissions in UK and have not fallen in recent years

â— Many regional inequalities: 8 times as many chargers in London than in North East

â— While only 1.6% of cars are electric UK, nearly half are electric in Norway (48%)

â— Research by UK100 shows that local authorities across the UK are responsible for 28,464 tonnes of CO2, around half of public sector contribution to Net Zero

Currently, the UK has 24,374 public charging points, but will need around 325,000 public charging points in just over a decade in order to meet the demand[1]. New UK100 analysis shows that at the current rate of growth, it is predicted there will be around 76,849 chargers by 2032, a shortfall of nearly a quarter of a million (248,151), or only a quarter of the expected demand.

Around 18 million battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) will be on the road when the ban on the sale of new internal combustion vehicles is introduced in 2030.

In a UK100 report to be published entitled 'Economic Benefits of Local Climate Action', researchers have found that 136 local authorities have 5 or fewer rapid chargers which are accessible to the public, and will struggle to keep up with demand[2].

The group is calling for local authorities to be given greater funding and powers to force energy companies to install electric vehicle charging points. A recent communique signed by 32 mayors and local leaders urged the government to reduce "the high costs of connecting EV charging networks to the grid...to enable a seamless vehicle charging network across the UK."

The vast majority of EV chargers are in London (7,489 chargers) - which has 8 times as many per person than the North East (887 chargers). Of the top 10 areas with the most public charging points, only 3 are outside London (Milton Keynes, Coventry and Brighton & Hove).

With the sale of new petrol and diesel cars due to be banned from 2030, a huge rise in the number of electric cars and vans is expected in the coming years.

According to a May 2021 report, Ofgem predicts that one in four consumers plan to buy an electric car in next five years[4]. While charge point grant programmes have been rolled out, a CCC report warns that "there is an absence of an overarching strategy to coordinate and support Local Authorities to ensure that the required number of charge points, especially on street and rapid charging points, by region is available in time.

Transport is now the highest emitting sector of the UK economy, accounting for 22% of total GHG emissions, 113 MtCO2e in 2019. Cars comprise 13% of the UK's GHG emissions, vans 4% and HGVs 4%. Urgent action is required to drive down transport emissions, as they have remained largely flat since 1990.[6]

Currently, 139 Local Authorities have 30 or fewer charging points for electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

The five areas with the fewest electric chargers are: Castle Point, Fenland, Selby, Brentwood and Barrow in Furness. The five areas with the most chargers are: Westminster, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Coventry.