Bath MP Wera Hobhouse has called on the government to increase investment in improving charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, to encourage more people to make the switch.
Earlier this month, the Liberal Democrat MP praised the increase in sales of electric vehicles (EVs), but warned the barriers to the rollout of charging infrastructure prevented many residents in Bath from switching to an EV.
The call comes as demand for second-hand EVs rose higher than ever in 2024, increasing by 57.4%.
New electric cars were also extremely popular last year, with new EVs being sold at a record annual volume.
However, the Bath MP is concerned that the current charging infrastructure will struggle to cater for demand.
In the House of Commons, she called on the government to work with distribution networks to ensure that new charging points were quickly connected.
Distribution Networks Operators (DNOs) make sure that electricity is distributed from the national grid to charging points, powering EVs. As DNOs are likely to be put under increasing pressure as EVs become more popular, Mrs Hobhouse urged the government to boost collaboration to ensure that needed charging points are installed across the country as quickly as possible.
Lilian Greenwood, the Minister for the Future of Roads, agreed with the Bath MP and acknowledged that the rollout of charging points was constrained by the availability of capacity on the distribution network.
However, she said that the Department for Transport were working with departments across the government to “unblock” the process and deliver this necessary charging infrastructure to all EV drivers.
Wera Hobhouse said: “Too often I hear from people in Bath or in rural areas of the South West who say that although they would like to switch to an electric car, the infrastructure simply isn’t in place for them to do so.
“While it’s fantastic to see EVs becoming more and more popular, we need to ensure that having an electric car is as convenient as possible. This includes making sure people can easily charge their cars whenever and wherever they need.
“That’s why I have called on the government to work with Distribution Network Operators to speed up the rollout of charging points across the country and get drivers everywhere connected.”
