New analysis shows that Chesterfield has the 10th highest number of rapid and ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging points of any constituency in the United Kingdom. Toby Perkins MP joined industry body ChargeUK at a Westminster held briefing to discuss the success of the increase in charging infrastructure and barriers to further improvement of the offer.
EV charging infrastructure has vastly improved in recent years, making driving EVs a more economical and practical choice for consumers. Just earlier this year, Toby Perkins MP opened a new EV power charging hub at Morrisons on Chatsworth Road in Chesterfield.
But still too often, EV charging is not reliable, and even with recent reductions, ultra-rapid charging is far more expensive than home charging. It can be up to 9x more expensive to charge publicly than at home.
Toby Perkins MP wrote to the Minister for Transport to make the case for reducing the high price of public charging points and has campaigned on this issue in his role as Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee.
Toby said: “As Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, I’ve consistently argued that we need to match our net zero ambitions with the infrastructure needed. As an EV driver myself, I know how important reliable ultra-rapid charging is in giving drivers confidence to make the switch.
I’m delighted to see ChargeUK’s findings that Chesterfield ranks 10th across the country for the number of ultra-rapid charging points, but I will continue to urge the government to improve the reliability and reduce the costs of public EV charging in Chesterfield and across the country. EV drivers without a driveway should be able to charge an EV at a reasonable rate. Addressing this will make an EV a realistic option for many more Chesterfield households.”