COP26: Will thousands of extra charging points boost EV take-up?

  • Watch: ITV News Meridian’s Kit Bradshaw reports on the projects across the South aiming to reduce the environmental impact of transport

Thousands of additional public charging stations will be “incredibly important” in encouraging more of us to swap our petrol and diesel cars for electric vehicles (EVs).

That’s according to a company that’s just agreed deals to install large numbers of the devices in council car parks and other public places over the coming years. 

Connected Kerb plans to fit more than 5,000 in West Sussex over the next decade. A separate deal will see 600 fitted in Kent over the next two years. The same firm was behind 34 new EV charging stations built in car parks in Medway this summer. 

The new public chargers in Kent and Sussex are aimed at those who don’t have the ability to recharge a vehicle’s battery at home.

The majority of the new stations will offer a fast 7Kwh charge, with some providing a rapid 50Kwh service. They’re in residential areas and designed for those who can’t have a charger at home. 

Head of Infrastructure at Connected Kerb, Nathan King, says the project will help convince those with “range anxiety” to consider an EV.

  • Watch: Nathan King, from the EV charger installers

It comes as world leaders discuss efforts to make transport more environmentally friendly around the world at COP26 – the UN Climate Change conference in Glasgow. 

Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Susan Carey, said: “The number of electric vehicles in Kent is increasing and whilst many people are able to charge at home people also want the security of knowing they can recharge whilst out and about.

“I hope more people will consider making the switch to electric and contribute to reducing our collective carbon footprint.”

At rental firm EVision in Medway, they’ve seen a steady increase in interest from the public for both short and long-term leases, as well as those wanting to try an electric car before they commit to buying one. 

  • Watch: Aaron Homes, EV sales manager

Others worry that the focus on electric vehicles will mean a lack of investment in schemes to encourage people to walk or cycle instead of drive. 

Megan Streb, from charity Sustrans, said EVs are only “part of the solution”. She told ITV News Meridian: “71 per cent of people said they would support protected spaces for cycling even if that meant taking space away from other traffic. Politicians need to be willing to do it. I think there’s a lot of hesitancy when they think the public aren’t behind them. bUt actually in survey after survey we found that they are.”

With the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars set to be banned in the UK from 2030, change is not far around the corner.