Number of Warwick electric vehicle charging points rises over last two years

File photo dated 4/2/2020 of electric vehicle charging points at Tynemouth. The Government should create an independent watchdog to regulate electric car charging prices and ensure widespread chargepoints across the UK, an industry group has said. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show plug-in vehicles accounted for more than one in six new cars registered in the UK last year. Issue date: Wednesday February 16, 2022.

There are more public electric vehicle charging points in Warwick than there were two years ago, new figures show.

As people are urged to "invest in our planet" for Earth Day 2022, the Government is aiming to entirely phase out petrol and diesel-powered cars by 2030.

But with battery electric vehicles planned to account for all car sales by 2035, it has faced criticism from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which says there are not enough charging points for many people to purchase electric vehicles.

Department for Transport figures show there were 71 publicly provided charging points in Warwick on January 1 – up from 32 two years ago.

They were among 28,375 installed across the UK at the start of this year, up from 16,505 in January 2020.

Warwick residents had also installed 1,210 at-home charging points through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme as of January 1 – a 173% increase over the last two years, further Department for Transport figures outline.

The scheme gives applicants a 75% grant towards the cost of installing the charging point up to £350.

There have also been 108 charging points installed at workplaces.

But with residents requiring "designated, private off-street parking" for the Homecharge Scheme, the SMMT has argued for more investment for those who only have on-street parking available.