The United Kingdom currently have over 20,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points available to EV motorists and the motor trade industry, a number growing with every passing month.
However, recent figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) have revealed that these EV facilities are currently distributed unevenly across the country, and many of its regions.
In the UK, 4,270 new EV charge points were installed during 2020, an average of 31 public chargers per 100,000 people.
Scotland, with 40 devices per 100,000 residents lead the way in the number of charging points available to EV motorists, but the figures released have also highlighted many UK regions with far fewer devices.
By nation, England have 31 EV charging devices per 100,000, Wales 26, and Northern Ireland have only 17, so the disparity is huge, and not just nationally, but also regionally.
DfT figures report over 1,250 new charge points were installed during October, November, and December 2020, which included 350 rapid devices.
These high-speed systems can often be found at motorway service stations, they supply high direct or alternating current (DC/AC) to recharge vehicles as quickly as possible.
Out of all the charging points currently available in the UK, nearly 4,000 are rapid devices, a figure up by 37% from 2019.
In the UK there are 5.8 rapid chargers per 100,000 people, Scotland have 10 per 100,000 people, and Northern Ireland have only around 1 per 100,000 residents.
A spokesman from the motor trade industry said: “Key to encouraging electric vehicle take-up will be drivers’ ability to access a fast, reliable and ubiquitous network of public charge points.
These latest figures show encouraging growth, particularly among faster charging stations which currently account for around a fifth of all charge points.
While many EV drivers will be able to start the day on a full charge, they will come to depend on the network for longer journeys especially – and for anyone without access to their own private charge point, a publicly available network will be essential.
It’s important that public charging infrastructure mirrors the growth in EV take-up, so drivers always have access to the type of charging they require.”
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Electric car purchases are most certainly a responsible choice for the environment, but when it comes to insuring any vehicle, regardless of its power source, the insurance policy choice and principle, are still the same.
New vehicles are listed in up to 50 different insurance groups, the lower the group, the cheaper your policy is likely to be.
Customers still have three main policy types offering the legal cover required to drive on the public highway:
Third Party
Third party, Fire and Theft
Comprehensive
Several motorists researching motor insurance prices for their new electric vehicle found some of the quotes to be a little higher than their previous petrol and diesel vehicle policies, mainly because it was a newer model their buying cover for.
All private and motor trade insurance companies will consider the make and model, vehicle age, the drivers age, occupation, location and how long they’ve been driving, amongst other criteria when quoting.
Vehicle breakdown cover is sometimes offered by motor insurance providers at an extra cost, with EV charging the main concern for many drivers, and even more so now depending on where you live, it may well be worth considering adding this as an extra just in case you get caught short.
