People in Penarth are wondering why the Vale of Glamorgan council are only building one new charging point when there aren’t enough ports open to the public as it is.
Currently there are three charging points, with the one closest to the town centre reserved for taxis only. The Vale council are building as many as three in St Athan, a village with just over 4,000 people, which is less than a fifth of Penarth’s population of around 22,000.
Electric Porsche owner Ed Pereira was powering his car ready for his 155-mile commute to London. He said that having accessible charging points in towns and cities is crucial to his journey because of the poor facilities along the motorway:
“I think we should be looking at more electric charging points everywhere. I think the cars are selling really well but as a user, it’s the charging network that I don’t have great access to, so people need to start building more”.
The charging point is due to be built on Bridge Street in Cogan, a residential area full of terraced houses and parked cars. Councillor Rhys Thomas, who represents the Plymouth Ward in Penarth says this needs to be looked at and that he’s very disappointed with the council’s decision:
“I think it shows a complete lack of ambition from the Labour-run Vale of Glamorgan council and I think when you combine this with the recent roads review… it shows that motorists aren’t getting a good deal out of the Welsh government in Wales”
The increase in charging points is part of the Welsh government’s strategy to make sure electric car owners are confident they can access infrastructure by 2025. They’ve dedicated £30 million to the cause, while hoping the push for electric vehicles will help lower carbon emissions and get Wales to its net zero target for 2050.
Based on the current situation facing drivers, with only twenty-one chargers per 100,000 electric cars, the question lies in whether Wales is ready to make the shift to a greener future.