Channel 4 Dispatches highlights issues with public EV chargers

Research from Channel 4 Dispatches has found that more than 1300 public EV chargers in the UK are not ‘usable’.

Working with EV charging app, Zap-Map, the research sampled one day in September and revealed that more than 1300 (5.2%) of chargers weren’t usable, and 840 slow chargers were out of service.

In addition, 370 (nearly 10%) of rapid chargers were out of service, and over 30 ultra rapid chargers were also faulty.

Dispatches also discovered that some charge points also remain broken for extended periods. Speaking anecdotally to EV drivers, Dispatches revealed that three chargepoints across the UK, have been out of service between three and six years.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder of Zap-Map, said: “I think it’s an issue that that needs to be improved. When I talk to the network operators, they are very aware of reliability and they know that is the number one thing that electric vehicle drivers want. They are focused on providing really good units, which are reliable and robust. But it needs to improve.”

In response to the Dispatches findings, the Department for Transport commented: “We want to make charging an electric vehicle as easy and accessible as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. That’s why the Government has just committed £620 million to support the transition to electric vehicles on top of the £1.9bn from Spending Review 2020.”