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EV chargepoint provision for commercial vehicles falls woefully short
Figures released yesterday (26 October 2022) by the Department for Transport show that since 1 October 2021 there has been a 34% increase in public electric vehicle chargepoints across the UK, with the total number now standing at 34,637.
The number of rapid or ultra-rapid charging devices has also increased with an additional 1,472 chargepoints, an increase of 30%. All regions have reported increases in total charging devices in the last quarter apart from the North East, which saw a reduction of 23 chargers, representing a decrease of 8.2%.
While provision of all types of devices has increased in most regions over the past 12 months, with London and Scotland still claiming the top spots with 122 and 60 devices per 100,000 head of population respectively, it is vital that the pace of public charging infrastructure installation increases to ensure targets are met in time for the phase out dates of diesel and petrol vans and cars in 2030.
While Logistics UK is encouraged that public charging infrastructure is moving in the right direction, the number of available chargepoints is only part of the picture and there is concern regarding access to them for commercial vehicles. Public electric vehicle chargepoints are often installed to prioritise smaller private vehicles; however, to support the decarbonisation of commercial vehicle fleets, they must be fully accessible to light goods vehicles. To facilitate this, Logistics UK is calling for all public chargepoint bays to be adequately sized with sufficient head space and longer charging cables. Operators often work to very tight time deadlines and Logistics UK is pressing for a further increase in the number of rapid or ultra-rapid chargepoints across the country, to ensure operators have sufficient access when it is required.
As well as those who rely on the public charging network throughout their shifts, not all commercial vehicles return to a depot overnight, and drivers without off-street parking will also rely on the public charging network and on-street parking. The current provision for light commercial vehicles falls woefully short and Logistics UK is urging government to provide clear assurances that, as more battery electric vehicle types join commercial fleets, there will be sufficient appropriate public electric vehicle charging to cater for all types of commercial vehicles.
*www.logistics.org.uk/road/vans
Published On: 27/10/2022 15:45:00
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