The rollout of electric car charging points in the UK has hit a troubling slowdown, exposing a stark North-South divide that could hinder the country’s green transition. According to Zapmap, just 628 public chargers were installed in December, bringing the total for the 2024 year to 14,097—a decrease of nearly 30% compared to the previous year’s 19,834 chargers.
A Decline in Charger Installations
This drop in installations comes as part of a concerning trend: in 2023, there were still over 16,000 chargers added, which is still significantly higher than the 2024 numbers. The overall total of 87,796 chargers installed across the UK now shows significant regional disparities, with almost one-third of all chargers located in London alone.
The North-South Divide in EV Infrastructure
The report from Zapmap highlights the unequal distribution of charging points, with the South East and London collectively housing almost half of all chargers. London alone boasts 27,895 chargers, while the South East has 11,136. In stark contrast, regions like the North East have only 2,550 chargers, creating a severe infrastructure gap between the South and North of the country.
A Serious Threat to EV Confidence
Experts have expressed concerns that this gap will only fuel “range anxiety” among prospective electric vehicle (EV) owners. Ginny Buckley, CEO of Electrifying.com, stated, “A lack of reliable charging in northern cities directly undermines confidence in EV driving. This is a real North-South divide. When one London borough has more chargers than five major northern cities combined, it sends a clear signal to drivers outside the South that the system isn’t working for them.”
Unequal Access in Key Cities
The disparity in charging points between cities is equally troubling. Coventry, with a population of only one-eighth of that of Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, and Sheffield, has more chargers than those five cities combined. This unequal distribution adds to the frustration of many drivers, especially in the North, who feel left behind in the shift to electric vehicles.
Experts’ Warnings and Government’s Struggles
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, highlighted that the lack of charging infrastructure remains one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption. “Confidence in the public charging network is not just a numbers game,” he said. “Drivers also need to be assured that chargers will be available, working, and easy to use.”
This slowdown in charger installations comes at a crucial time for the UK government’s Net Zero goals. The government had aimed to install 300,000 public charging points by 2030, but these figures raise serious doubts about the feasibility of meeting that target.
The Future of EV Adoption
The government’s recent announcement of a pay-per-mile excise duty for electric vehicles (3p per mile) and hybrids (1.5p per mile) has further fueled backlash, with critics arguing that the cost of owning an EV is becoming increasingly prohibitive.
The ongoing regional disparities in charging infrastructure threaten to undermine not only public confidence in EV adoption but also the UK’s broader climate goals. Without addressing this North-South divide and ramping up charging installations in underserved regions, the transition to electric vehicles could face a long road ahead.
