Welsh Government heavily criticised for 'broken promises' of electric vehicles plan

Wales has the lowest number of public charging devices per 100 thousand people in Great Britain. Credit: PA

The Welsh Government's plan to get more electric vehicles on the road has been described as "embarrassing" and "unacceptable" by a Senedd report.

A cross-party Senedd committee found the current plan to develop more charging points across Wales is inadequate and full of broken promises.

Wales has the lowest number of public charging devices per 100 thousand people in Great Britain.

One of the main issues highlighted in the report was the lack of charging points in Wales. Credit: PA

The Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee's latest report analyses the commitments made by the Welsh Government in a 2021 'Action Plan' to get more electric vehicles on the road.

The report found multiple failures to follow through on promises made less than 18 months ago with more than half of the commitments in the plan not delivered on time.

One of the main issues highlighted in the report was the lack of charging points in Wales, and the lack of progression in improving the situation.

This was backed up by Electric Vehicle Association Cymru (EVA Cymru), who claim the number of rapid charging points on key routes across Wales represents the most significant barrier to the uptake of electric vehicles.

The plans still needs to be put to the Senedd. Credit: PA

The inquiry highlighted a significant issue of a lack of electricity grid capacity in rural areas of Wales.

After a 2018 Action plan the Welsh Government committed to creating a "connections group" to co-ordinate the development of this infrastructure across Wales - but the Group has never been established.

The report shows the same issue with another commitment to determine the best location for charging points across the country. A group was meant to be set up for this but has not yet been created.

As a result, the Committee has called for both groups to be formed in the next few weeks as a matter of urgency.

Credit: PA

Llyr Gruffydd MS, is chair of the Senedd group responsible for the report and said the infrastructure in Wales is not good enough for people to change to greener, electric modes of transport.

He said: "The Welsh Government’s Action Plan isn’t even 18 months old yet and some of the targets have already been missed. This is unacceptable – and embarrassing.

"When that plan was written, it described a Wales with the lowest electric vehicle uptake and the lowest number of charge points in Great Britain, and there’s nothing we’ve seen since then that would have changed that depressing fact.

The MS for north Wales called it an "inaction plan" in the scathing report on the Welsh Governments progress.

In response to the report, a Welsh Government spokesperson said:

“We welcome today’s report which contains some key learnings for us as we work to deliver the charging infrastructure Wales needs.

“We were pleased to see that Wales is now showing the greatest percentage increase of any UK region in charging and rapid charging provision.

“This is thanks to an ambitious delivery programme we have developed with key partners and we now look forward to building on these foundations.”