Concerns over financial viability of EV chargers in rural areas

Electric vehicle charging points in some parts of rural Gloucestershire are not financially viable as many people cannot afford such vehicles, according to council chiefs.

This comes as Gloucestershire County Council recently provided an update on its plans to install 1,000 on-street electric vehicle charging points over the next three years.

The Government is due to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030 and the county council plans to roll out its network ahead of this to give residents the practical option of choosing to go electric as early as possible.

The programme aims to prioritise access to charging points for the one third of residents who do not have off-street parking and charging and its first phase is expected to focus on more urban areas.

The council has started working with district and parish councils to identify suitable locations and is bidding for government funding to accelerate this work.

Residents are being asked to give their views on where they think charging points should be located, to help map demand and plan for electric vehicle charging.

But speaking at yesterday’s Environment Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Chris McFarling (G, Sedbury) spoke of the challenges they are having in the Forest of Dean.

Cllr McFarling, who is also climate emergency cabinet member at Forest of Dean District Council, said the charging points they are installing are not financially viable.He also said many people have told him they will never be able to afford an electric vehicle.

“In the Forest of Dean we are currently tasked with putting out electric vehicle charging points but at the moment they are not financially viable.

“The set up costs will not be met by the user charges for many, many years and we have to be careful that we target the user that will most likely make use of those charging points.

“Be it residents, or tourists and visitors who support the tourist economy in the Forest of Dean which is quite large.

“We are putting in charging points based on a number of criteria but ultimately they will only be used by those who have the money and can afford to buy an electric vehicle or lease one.

“I have had protestations from residents in my division who say this is won’t help them because they will never be able to afford an electric vehicle. And so, the charging points are taking up car parking spaces and are compromising their ability to park.

“We need to make the charging points financially sustainable and that’s the problem we are having in the Forest of Dean where we are using our own limited resources and we cannot make that work.”

Ultra low emission vehicles programme manager Steve Lowe told councillors it takes around two hours of charge a day for a charging point to break even.

He explained that as the second hand market for electric vehicles develops they will be more more affordable and more drivers are expected to buy them.

He said: “I understand that on the first phases we will go to areas where there is more of a demand but we’ve also got to bear in mind that the idea behind all of this is we can’t leave communities out because they say they aren’t well enough off to have an electric car.

“The second hand market is taking off and that’s going to drive a lot of these dense urban areas where they are maybe not quite as affluent. It won’t belong till we get to the stage where these chargers we are putting in the ground even in the more rural areas start getting to cover their costs or not far from it.

“Yes, it will take a while to cover the upfront costs but it’s just one of the things we’ve got to do to get the market started.”

The county council has recently appointed Connected Kerb, one of the UK’s leading charging point providers, to install and run a network of chargers.

Connected Kerb’s chargers are made from recycled materials, use renewable energy and will be accessible to people with disabilities.

People can have their say on the county council’s plans by registering their interest here . The survey will stay open for the duration of the three-year project.

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk