EV charger rollout slowed by local authorities

GUY TAYLOR

THE ROLL-OUT of electric vehicle (EV) charge points has been slowed by delays at the local authority level and is set to fall short of ministers’ targets, new research has found.

Data obtained by law firm RPC shows 8,000 chargers were installed by UK local authorities over the last year, an increase of seven per cent.

Lime boss Wayne Ting said London is an “incredible market” for e-bikes

Lime boss: London commuters are our ‘most important’ users

GUY TAYLOR

LONDON’s commuters are our “most important” riders, the CEO of the ebike operator Lime has said. Wayne Ting, Lime’s chief executive, told City A.M. “commuting is the most important use case” for the popular vehicles as demand soars in the capital.

Lime has seen a 10 per cent monthly increase in riders in London since 2019, with the now-distinctive ‘clacking’ noise – made by Lime bikes that have been hacked to avoid paying –being a strong contender for the capital’s song of the summer.

Nearly 39 per cent of Lime riders use the bikes for commuting in London, according to Steer, making it the firm’s most important target market.

The government has set aside £1.6bn to expand the network of chargers to 300,000 by 2030 when a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles comes into place.

Expenditure disclosed by local authorities fell well below the funds required, the RPC said, down nearly £1m in the last year to £41m.

Elizabeth Alibhai, partner and head of real estate at RPC, described the slow pace of local authority installations as a “a real concern” and said private investment would be essential in plugging the gaps.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The number of public charge points rose by 38 per cent over the last year – a rate that puts us well on the way to the 300,000 figure by 2030.”