Chargepoint rollout not keeping pace with EV growth, warns SMMT

According to the latest SMMT figures, electric vehicles continued their growth in January, but the organisation is warning that chargepoint rollout is failing to keep pace.

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) comprised 14.4% of new car registrations, increasing volumes by 40.6%. Meanwhile, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations rose 19.8% to reach 17,294 units, or 13.1% of new registrations – slightly below the average recorded for 2022. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) recorded a 0.7% rise, although their share fell to 6.9% of new cars reaching the road. As a result, one in five new cars registered in the month came with a plug.

During Q4 2022, the ratio of new chargepoint installations to new plug-in car registrations dropped to one for every 62 – a significant fall compared with the same quarter last year, when the ratio was 1:42. As a result, in 2022, one standard public charger was installed for every 53 new plug-in cars registered, the weakest ratio since 2020.

The SMMT says that mandating rollout targets for infrastructure and regulating service standards would give drivers certainty they can always find a working, available charger. Infrastructure must be built ahead of demand else poor provision risks delaying the electric transition.

The organisation also says that the upcoming Budget should be an opportunity to implement measures that support the transition. Reducing VAT on public chargepoint use from 20% to 5% in line with home charging would ensure more affordable access for all and underpin a fair net zero transition. Government should also review proposals to graft a Vehicle Excise Duty regime designed for fossil fuel cars onto zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). The higher production costs associated with electric vehicles means that currently more than half of all available BEVs would be subject to the expensive car supplement due to apply to ZEVs from 2025. While it is right that all drivers pay their fair share, existing plans would unfairly penalise those making the switch, and risk disincentivising the market at the time when EV uptake should be encouraged. Government should also tackle other fiscal blocks to uptake by raising recommended business mileage rates.