Three quarters of councils have said budget pressures are the greatest challenge to the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.
The survey commissioned by EV chargepoint operator, Believ, found that 75% of 101 councils in England, Wales and Scotland declared strained budgets as their primary barrier to EV chargepoint delivery.
A further 63% of local authorities named Government funding as a significant obstacle, with 42% confirming that logistical and delivery challenges such as grid capacity are the third most prominent barrier.
One of the main reasons for councils’ budgetary issues was revealed to be resourcing, with Believ highlighting that progress is also hindered by administrative delays, infrastructure-related restrictions, and funding process complications.
The report also emphasised that authority-led deployment is essential to providing EV infrastructure coverage in residential and rural areas, as well as for those without driveways or access to private charging.
It found that 71% of respondent councils and 78% of rural and semi-rural councils said they would like ‘more direct and targeted access’ to Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding. An additional 43% of local authorities called for increased local say in decisions on budgets.
Unveiling the trend of progress among councils, the research confirmed that 75% of local authorities have now implemented formal EV charging plans, with only 12% predicted to have incomplete rollouts by 2030.
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, said: ‘The clear and urgent priorities of unlocking funding streamlining processes, expanding and signposting guidance must be addressed.
‘The responsibility for this lies in tandem with the charging industry and Government – with the right partnerships, the UK can build an EV charging network that works for everyone.’
