Experts have been left furious over accusations that “drivers have been ripped off” by the UK’s electric vehicle movement, stating that it’s not the charging infrastructure that is the problem.
The CEO of Charge UK Vicky Read argued that the industry understood how vital the charging sector is in helping more drivers transition to an EV, but stated the Government needs to have more involvement instead of blaming the lack of infrastructure.
The charging sector has already committed £6billion of investment through to 2030 which Charge UK said is taking place ahead of demand and profitability.
The fury comes after Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero criticised the charging network for not having the right infrastructure in place to support drivers.
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Public chargers come with 20 per cent VAT costs
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Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “There’s two particular problems that I would identify. The first problem is that the last Government pushed the date back to 2035 and that was part of what has spooked the market a bit.
“That’s why we’re clear about the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel vehicles. The second thing that’s got to be done, and I actually think this is the biggest thing, is to get the charging infrastructure right.”
He added that the country and the Government have to do a “much better job of giving people the reassurance that the infrastructure is in place for reliability when it comes to EVs”.
In response, Read stated that the lack of progress is underpinned not by targets, but by the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which is pushing the car sector.
She explained that despite what Miliband thinks, the public charging network is growing 42 per cent year–on–year, with one public charger being installed every 25 minutes.
This, combined with around 850,000 home and workplace chargers, means there is close to one charger for every EV today.
She detailed: “If that exponential rate continues, the public network will grow quicker than the number of EVs coming onto our roads.
“Charging operators are also motivated to offer affordable charging because we know this is a key consideration in drivers’ decisions to switch. So again, it was disappointing to hear discussion of drivers being ‘ripped off’.”
She stated that a number of significant factors contribute to the cost of charging that sit outside charging operators’ control with VAT being one of them.
Currently, EVs are charged a 20 per cent VAT rate for public charging compared with just five per cent at home which has created disparity between the two options for drivers.
The ZEV mandate also pushes for at least 22 per cent of new car sales for all major manufacturers to be electric by the end of this year to keep on track for the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars and vans.
But the drive towards electric has gone ahead without consideration for motorists who have warned the price point for EVs plus the high costs for charging are too great barriers.
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Read warned that if the Labour Government fails to back the charging network, it could result in a “watered-down ZEV mandate” which will “do nothing to accelerate rollout”.
“Backing us means a ZEV mandate that remains strong, to underpin the billions we are investing ahead of demand. It means a thriving EV market, with the current incentives that help drivers to make the switch to EVs continued or expanded,” she highlighted.
