Critics say Wales lagging behind on lamppost charging for electric vehicles

A lack of vehicle charging infrastructure is said to be holding back adoption of electric vehicles in Wales, critics have claimed.

With around 25% of all Welsh homes not having off-street parking, where to charge your electric car is a real concern for many when considering a new vehicle purchase.

Welsh Conservative, Janet Finch-Saunders MS raised the issue with Transport Minister Lee Waters in the Senedd, where it was revealed that there was just one lamppost mounted electric vehicle charger in the whole of Wales, located in Rhyl.

Ms Saunders said: “In 2020 I urged the Labour Government to investigate how it could support the conversion of publicly available lampposts into electric car charging points. Three years on it is a disgrace that there is only one in the whole of Wales.

“When considering that London already has at least 7,000, the Labour Government has no excuse for the lack of provision here.

“Rather than wait for a feasibility study, the Deputy Minister should act decisively so that residents without off-street parking have access to lamppost charging.”

Fellow Conservative and Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS agreed, adding: “It’s incredibly frustrating, but hardly surprising, that Wales has only one lamppost charging point given we are drastically lagging behind other countries when it comes to installing basic electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

“I have no doubt more people would look at switching to greener methods of transport, such as electric vehicles, if it was practical but sadly Labour Minister in Cardiff Bay are all talk and no action – as is often the case.

“We need to see the Labour Government get into gear with electric vehicle charging devices – including lamppost charging points – rolled out at speed because time really is of the essence, especially if Wales needs between 30,000 – 50,000 charging points by 2030 as the Labour Government predicts.”

In a written statement, Labour’s Transport Minister Lee Waters MS said: “In Wales, around 25% of houses do not have off-street parking, however this varies according to the Local Authority (LA) areas.

“The Welsh Government is aware that not having off-street charging means that car owners are less likely to make the switch to electric vehicles, as they do not yet have confidence that they can find reliable and convenient charging infrastructure that is located close to home.
 
“There have been a variety of trials across the UK to understand the best options for on-street charging that can overcome some of the issues faced when delivering this infrastructure.

“Transport for Wales are carrying out a feasibility study to understand the challenges faced by the Welsh LAs deploying on-street charging and the options available, such as lamppost EV charging points.

“The feasibility study will be followed by a trial project with a number of LAs, in order to address the lack of on-street charging facilities across Wales. The project implementation will start this financial year.”

(Lead image: Shutterstock)