East Riding among worst in Yorkshire and the Humber for access to electric car chargers, according to new Department for Transport data

The East Riding is behind the curve in Yorkshire and the Humber on the green transport revolution, new figures suggest, with among the worst access to electric car charging points.
The Department for Transport said the regional distribution of car charging devices across the UK was uneven. Photo: PA ImagesThe Department for Transport said the regional distribution of car charging devices across the UK was uneven. Photo: PA Images
The Department for Transport said the regional distribution of car charging devices across the UK was uneven. Photo: PA Images

There were just 37 public charging devices in the area at the start of April, according to new Department for Transport data.

That’s a rate of 11 per 100,000 people – among the lowest in Yorkshire and the Humber, where the figure stood at 16.

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Of the devices in the East Riding, six were “rapid” charging points, which can crank most electric car batteries up to 100% in under half an hour. The DfT said the regional distribution of devices across the UK was uneven, with some councils having bid for government funding, while others had not.

Yorkshire and the Humber’s rate put it last out of England’s nine regions for accessability.

The area has added 10 new devices to its supply since the last count in October, when there were 27.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “One of the myths we urgently need to clear up is a perceived lack in charging points.

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“However, if drivers feel they cannot find a charge point then more needs to be done.”

Better signage for the devices could make them easier for motorists to spot, he suggested, as well as finding solutions for those who want to charge their car at home but do not have off-street parking.

The DfT data is sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform Zap-Map, which say it covers 95% of publicly accessible devices.

Some units can only charge one car at a time, while others can deal with multiple vehicles simultaneously.

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A DfT spokesman said: “Accessing charge points has never been easier and we want to make it easier still, with a further £10 million to install chargers.

“The Government is considering the long-term future of incentives for zero-emission vehicles alongside our consultation on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans.”