Fears of a North-South divide on electric cars as millions shun the switch from petrol because of the cost
- New electric cars are as much as £10,000 more expensive to buy upfront
- Four times as many motorists making the switch in the South than in the North
- Committee MPs heard a scarcity of on-street charging points was also a barrier
A new North-South divide threatens to open up on the uptake of electric cars, MPs have warned.
Ownership figures show four times as many motorists making the switch in the South than in the North.
The main barrier was cost, with new electric cars being as much as £10,000 more expensive to buy upfront.
Ownership figures show four times as many motorists making the switch in the South than in the North. An electric car is seen charging in Birmingham
But a scarcity of on-street charging points was also a factor, MPs on the Commons public accounts committee heard.
It will be seen as a threat to the Government’s levelling-up agenda. Tory MP Gareth Bacon said a report suggested low-emission car ownership was 192 per 100,000 in the North East, but 800 in the South East.
He said: ‘Are we not in danger of creating a country of haves and have-nots?’
Recent Department for Transport data showed 19 charging points per 100,000 in the North West, and 69 in London.
Richard Bruce, DfT director for energy, technology and innovation, said grants for home chargers, more on-street chargers and plug-in points at motorway service stations would help close the divide.
Recent Department for Transport data showed 19 charging points per 100,000 in the North West, and 69 in London
But he admitted the current number of on-street chargers was ‘sub-optimal’ and that a target was to have six rapid charge points for every motorway service station by 2023.
Bernadette Kelly, the Department for Transport’s permanent secretary, said ‘ there’ll be a fairly rapid opportunity [for the North] to catch up through the next year or two as we invest more, as the private sector invests more, in charging infrastructure and as manufacturers invest more in battery technologies which brings the price of these cars down.’
A DfT spokesman said: ‘We are supporting the installation of more than 180,000 residential and public charge points.’