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'Charge rage' fears as electric car drivers battle for 'insufficient' charging points in London
DICK MURRAY
4 days ago
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The Evening Standard
A report by City Hall Tories reveals a potential dramatic shortage of charging points
A report by City Hall Tories reveals a potential dramatic shortage of charging points PA Archive/PA Images
London could face “charge rage” as drivers of electric cars struggle to find charging points, it was claimed today.
A report by City Hall Tories reveals a potential dramatic shortage of charging points — with just one available for every 15 cars by 2031.
A Tory spokesman said: “Drivers in London could face bouts of ‘charge rage’ if the predicted demand for electric car charging points is not met. Drivers in the US have already been involved in heated disputes as they compete over a shortage of points.”
The same could happen here, with Department for Transport figures predicting electric car sales rising by 172 per cent every five years.
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The report, Clearing The Air, urges Mayor Sadiq Khan to invest £30 million in rapid-charging points which can provide an 80 per cent top-up in 30 minutes.
Under current plans TfL intends to install just 300 rapid charging points by 2020. Many current points take up to eight hours for a vehicle to be fully charged.
The report also says the mayor should scrap plans to expand the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone, and drop the £10-a-time extra Toxicity Charge in the central zone from next month for vehicles that fail to meet emission standards.
