EV range anxiety never off duty at UK’s most popular holiday destinations?

Tourism industry has called on the government to accelerate the rollout of EV charging infrastructure

Owners of electric vehicles (EVs) who plan to spend time at some of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations might have to rethink things as rural areas are lagging behind on EV charging infrastructure, experts have warned.

Places like Cornwall and Dorset are likely to face overwhelming demand for charging points.

Reports suggest Dorset has currently 133 charging devices, a rate of 35 per 100,000 people, which is slightly below the national average.

Richard Toomer, Executive Director of Tourism Alliance, told ELN: “We know holiday-makers are increasingly keen on ensuring they travel sustainably and responsibly and many want to use their EVs to experience the amazing destinations we have to offer in the UK.

“We need to see a step change in the delivery of infrastructure on our key tourist routes if we are going to avoid more and more bottlenecks through the key tourist season.”

Range anxiety amongst EV owners could put the brakes on tourism growth in many rural areas, says holiday park owner Martin Cox whose family-owned business, West Dorset Leisure Holidays, owns five holiday parks in the county.

As Vice President of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, Martin told ELN that many of the body’s 2,500 plus park members report that limited electrical supply capacity in their region is the main hurdle to them installing additional – or any – EV charging points.

Martin’s flagship holiday park, Highlands End in Bridport, was an early adopter of vehicle charging points, but says it’s becoming increasingly difficult to satisfy demand: “We have up to 500 cars a night in August,” he said. “I’ve got 11 EV charging points and we’ve now reached the limit. If we put any more on, we’re going to start tripping out sections of the park. Even if I turned off everything on the holiday park, we could only charge up 80 cars overnight.”

An EV owner himself, Martin says that most people with EVs charge their cars on the driveway at home or at work and expect to be able to do the same when they arrive on holiday.

“I am fully sympathetic with the government’s aim to drive up EV usage and have done all we can at present to provide charging facilities. However, until the electrical supply infrastructure is improved in many rural areas, some EV owners may think twice about taking a holiday too far from home and there will be serious consequences for the visitor economy.”

Councillor Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for Transport told ELN: “Our Drive EV2 Project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is bringing new public access electric vehicle charging devices to Cornwall Council-run carparks this summer.

“The 75 new devices will provide 150 charge points, increasing the total number of charging devices across Cornwall to more than 400.

“The aim of the project is to ensure good charging coverage throughout Cornwall. We worked with experts to review sites and agree locations, based on technical capacity, demand and accessibility.”

A Dorset Council spokesperson told ELN: “Increasing the number of EV charging points available to Dorset’s residents and visitors is a key action in the council’s ambitious Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy and work is already underway by the council to expand the existing charging network here in Dorset.

“This expansion will see more than 150 new charging units installed over the next two years. Dorset is one of nine areas in England to receive funding from a new government scheme which aims to improve EV charging infrastructure.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson told ELN: “Whether you’re a tourist on holiday, a commuter travelling for work, or just going for a drive, you should feel confident that you can charge your vehicle on the way.

“The government has already invested over £2 billion into accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles and our grants continue to be available for businesses, including tourist sites, to subsidise the costs of installing chargepoints.”

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