UK Electric Car Owners Face ‘Postcode Lottery’ for Cheap Charging
Drivers of electric vehicles in the UK are facing a significant ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to charging their cars, with a recent study revealing a 261% gap in public charging costs across different cities.
The research found that the cost of charging an electric vehicle varies dramatically depending on location, with Cambridge being the most expensive city at £45.52 to charge half a battery, while Leicester is the cheapest at just £12.60. This disparity highlights a growing north-south divide in EV affordability, with southern cities generally being more expensive than their northern counterparts.
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires all new car sales to be electric by 2030, has brought the issue of charging infrastructure to the forefront. The report’s findings suggest that drivers without home charging options are particularly affected by the high costs in certain areas.
Pamela Murdock, a used car expert, commented: “As EV adoption continues to rise, it’s vital that charging infrastructure not only keeps up in terms of availability and speed but remains accessible and affordable for everyone.”
The study also revealed significant variations in charging times across UK cities, with Wakefield having the quickest average charging time at 48 minutes, while Leicester had the slowest at over 8 hours. Charger availability also varies dramatically, with Ripon having 63.1 chargers per 10,000 people, compared to Liverpool’s 2.0 chargers per 10,000 people.
These disparities in charging costs, speed, and availability are creating a clear affordability divide, with Midlands and northern cities generally offering more economical charging options compared to southern and eastern locations. The Department for Transport has announced measures to make it cheaper to install electric vehicle charge points, but more needs to be done to address the existing disparities.
As the UK continues its transition to electric vehicles, addressing these regional differences will be crucial to ensuring that the adoption of EVs is equitable and accessible to all drivers.
