Doncaster behind the curve on the green transport revolution

Doncaster is behind the curve on the green transport revolution, new figures suggest, with below average access to electric car charging points.
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There were just 45 public charging devices in the area at the start of April, according to new Department for Transport data.

That is a rate of 14 per 100,000 people, leaving Doncaster lagging well behind the UK average rate of 27.

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The area has added 11 new devices to its supply since the last count in October, when there were 34. Across the UK, the number rose by 19 per cent over the six-month period to just under 18,000 in April.

Electric carElectric car
Electric car

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “One of the myths we urgently need to clear up is a perceived lack of charging points.

“However, if drivers feel they cannot find a charge point then more needs to be done.”

Better signage for the devices could make them easier for motorists to spot, he suggested, as well as finding solutions for those who want to charge their car at home but do not have off-street parking.

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He said: “Encouraging drivers to make the switch to electric cars will also encourage both councils and businesses to install charging infrastructure.”

Thirteen devices in Doncaster were ‘rapid’ charging points, which can fully charge most electric car batteries in under half an hour.

There were 3,100 of these across the UK at the start of April.

The DfT data is sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform Zap-Map, which covers 95 per cent of publicly accessible devices.

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Some units can only charge one car at a time, while others can deal with multiple vehicles simultaneously.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, there were 900 charging devices – at a rate of 16 per 100,000, this left it last out of England’s nine regions for accessibility.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “It’s high time connecting to a charge point proved no more challenging than pulling onto a service station forecourt to fill up with petrol and pay with your credit card."

A DfT spokesman said: “Accessing charge points has never been easier and we want to make it easier still, with a further £10 million to install chargers.”

Doncaster Council was unavailable for comment.