10:26 am, December 2, 2020
An inquiry into electric vehicle-charging has been launched that aims to boost drivers’ confidence in the infrastructure.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it wanted to ensure that motorists are ‘treated fairly now and in the future’.
It will also look at how to develop a competitive sector while attracting investment to help it grow.
The fear of not being able to top up an electric car’s battery on a journey before it goes flat – aka range anxiety – is a key concern for many consumers, it said.
People are likelier to switch to EVs if they see that the service will work for them, the CMA added.
The UK has 19,500 charging devices for public use – up from 2,700 in March 2015. That compares against some 134,400 petrol and diesel nozzles at filling stations, according to the Petrol Retailers Association.
Boris Johnson said in November that sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be phased out by 2030, as reported by Car Dealer.
CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: ‘Making the switch to electric vehicles is key to helping the UK become greener, which is why it’s so important that everyone has the confidence to get behind the move.
‘Being able to easily stop off at a petrol station is a standard part of a journey, and consumers must trust that electric charge points will provide a similarly straightforward service.
‘By getting involved early as electric vehicles and charge points are still developing, the CMA can make sure consumers are treated fairly now and in the future.’
The inquiry will be a market study that can make recommendations to the government or other bodies, and give guidance to businesses and consumers, with the CMA aiming to complete it within a year.
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