Furious gran blasts excessive charging in limited EV infrastructure

author: FutureCar Staff    

A grandmother has expressed her frustration on social media after an electric vehicle owner left their car at one of only two charging points in her village for more than 17 hours. Elaine, a grandmother of five, shared a photo of the charging point with the car plugged in for over 17 hours. She referred to this incident as "charge rage" and criticized the lack of available charging points in certain parts of the UK. Many electric vehicle owners claim they have to wake up in the middle of the night to charge their cars due to the limited number of charging points. Experts predict that the problem will worsen as the demand for electric vehicles increases faster than the supply of chargers. Elaine vented her frustration on social media, calling out "selfish" drivers who monopolize the limited charging points in her village.

The 17-hour charging time is excessive compared to the usual time it takes to charge an electric vehicle. Home chargers can fully charge a car in two to seven hours, depending on the charging speed. Public charging points can charge a car in as little as 25 minutes, although slower plugs may take six to 12 hours. Frustrated drivers have reported conflicts at charging points, prompting some service stations to hire marshals to manage the queues and prevent disputes. Ken McMeikan, the CEO of Moto, the largest motorway service provider in Britain, has warned the government about the potential for public disorder incidents due to long waits for plug-in points.

Currently, there are 850,000 electric vehicles and 530,000 plug-in hybrids on UK roads. The government aims to install 300,000 charging points by 2030, but currently, there are only 48,000 public charging points, equivalent to one per 29 cars. The lack of evenly distributed charging points has led to conflicts among electric vehicle owners. Some areas, like Thurrock services near the M25, have a high concentration of charging points, while other areas have limited options. Some drivers have even decided to switch back to diesel cars due to the stress and inconvenience caused by the lack of charging points.

Motoring analyst Amanda Stretton highlighted the issue of range anxiety and the importance of having accessible charging infrastructure. She criticized the government for relying on commercial enterprises to set up charging points instead of taking a more proactive approach through local councils. Stretton emphasized the need for more charging points across the country to support the growing number of electric vehicles.

Electric car drivers have shared their experiences of long queues and disputes at charging points. Some drivers have observed that Tesla charging spots have shorter queues and fewer conflicts compared to other charging points. However, there are still concerns about the overall infrastructure to support electric vehicles. Some charging points are exclusive to Tesla cars, while others often don't work properly. Many drivers in the north of the country feel that the infrastructure is even worse compared to other areas. Overall, there is a need for more charging points and a more evenly distributed charging infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for electric vehicles.

FutureCar Staff