The Labour government is facing calls to accelerate action as a significant electric vehicle charging infrastructure problem sweeps across England.
Mapping the EV Divide
An updated 'Constituency Map' has been unveiled, revealing stark disparities in where public charging rollout is falling dangerously behind consumer demand for electric vehicles.
The detailed map provides a comprehensive breakdown of both electric vehicle uptake and the availability of public charging infrastructure within each English constituency.
Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England, stated: "We built this map to shine a light on the real-world experience of drivers using and charging their cars within the communities they live in."
She emphasized that EVA England is focused on ensuring that policy and industry decisions are grounded in the lived experience of EV drivers, asserting that "only then can we make the transition to electric work for everyone."
Winners and Losers in Charger Access
The analysis reveals the top five constituencies where households without access to off-street parking are within a five-minute walk of a charger:
- Queen's Park and Maida Vale
- Peckham
- Kensington and Bayswater
- Islington South and Finsbury
- Hackney South and Shoreditch
Within all of these boroughs, over 99% of households are within reach of a charge point, demonstrating what comprehensive coverage looks like.
However, the situation appears dramatically different in the bottom five constituency areas for EV uptake, where 2% or less of vehicles are electric:
- Smethwick
- West Bromwich
- Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, and Plymouth Moorview
- Tipton and Wednesbury
- Kingston upon Hull
Clear Progress and Persistent Gaps
Ms Edmonds commented on the findings, noting that "the updated map shows clear areas of progress, in both attracting drivers into EVs and also in the charging infrastructure available to them, but also clear gaps."
She stressed that continued collaboration across industry and Government will be essential, highlighting the importance of EV drivers' voices in understanding the day-to-day reality of driving and charging these vehicles.
The report delivered another significant finding: London remains far ahead of major cities in the north and southwest when it comes to installing public charging points, underscoring a growing regional divide in the nation's electric vehicle infrastructure.
