Cornwall is set to be inundated with electric vehicles over the summer months, although a lack of charging points could prove challenging.
That’s according to new research from Schneider Electric, which estimated that there will be a 1380% jump in the number of electric vehicles on Cornish roads this summer. While that would be easily dealt with by the likes of Greater London, where there are over 14,000 chargepoints, Cornwall lacks the EV infrastructure to cope with the influx of vehicles.
In fact, according to Schneider Electric, there will be just one charger per 471 electric vehicles this summer – meaning if you’re heading down to Cornwall in an electric vehicle this summer, you may want to make sure you have a few backup options, or be prepared for a long wait.
David Hall, VP Power Systems at Schneider Electric UK & Ireland, noted, “Stuck in traffic jams, bumper to bumper, the summer holiday traffic is stressful enough, but for anyone driving an electric car it’s not just the traffic they need to worry about, it’s the meticulous planning of the trip around charging spots that can add to travel stress.
“And when EV chargers aren’t installed evenly, in high numbers throughout the country, when tourist destinations get busier, EV drivers then have the added stress of finding and queueing for a charging point instead of enjoying a relaxing holiday.
“Driving an electric car needs to be as convenient as a petrol one. The roll out of charging points needs to be faster but we must have the power available to keep up with the supply. Also the chargers must be accessible and as easy to use as a traditional fuel pump”
We’ve highlighted the disparity between different regions in the UK before, with Greater London playing host to a third of the country’s entire supply of EV chargers – while other regions lag behind. This issue is heightened during the tourism season as EV owners leave the comfort of their chargepoints at home and have to use the publicly available infrastructure. In the case of Cornwall, demand for public chargers is set to skyrocket by 1498%.
