By ROB HULL, MOTORING EDITOR
One of the biggest barriers for electric car adoption in Britain is for those living in flats, terraced houses and properties without off-street parking who are ultimately reliant on public charging points to replenish their vehicle's battery.
This is not just a major headache for approximately 35 per cent of the nation's households - around 10 million families - without a driveway but creates EV inequality among Britons.
This is because homeowners, renters and residents with EV wallboxes are able to reap the financial benefits of cheaper charging linked to their home energy tariffs, while those without the facilities to have a domestic charger installed face costs between two and three times higher when accessing the public network.
This is partly due to higher taxation on public charging at 20 per cent, compared to just 5 per cent VAT levied on those who can plug in at home.
But as well as a financial constraint, those without off-street parking also face practicality issues in terms of how far they need to walk to get to their nearest public charging device.
With the nation's charging infrastructure still very much in its infancy, especially residential networks designed to provide kerb-side devices around populated streets, a study has calculated the average time it takes Briton to walk from their front doors to the closest charger.
According to the analysis by Motabiity Operations - which provides cars to disabled people - the average time is 11 minutes and 56 seconds.
And in a hurry-up to ministers to bolster the country's sparse public charging network, a survey of drivers found that less than a third (31 per cent) are willing to own an EV if they would have to walk for more than 10 minutes to use a public charger.
A new study has calculated that it takes the average Briton almost 12 minutes to walk to their closest public EV charge point, highlighting the limited network for drivers without off-street parking
Statistics already suggest that the disadvantage of not having a homecharger is creating an EV imbalance in Britain.
According to the Department for Transport's EV Driver Tracker report, nine in ten (91 per cent) current electric car owners in the UK have access to charging at home. Three quarters of them have a dedicated wallbox installed.
The data suggests that those without driveways and dedicated parking spaces are already being put off owning an EV due to the impracticalities and financial impact of not being able to plug on at home.
And for those without off-street parking at their properties, they face large variations in the average walking time to reach their nearest public charger depending on the region they live, the study highlighted.
The longest time is for those living in the East of England.
These motorists have to walk for an average of 15 minutes and 18 seconds to access their closest EV charging point.
In contrast, in London - where infrastructure is strongest and the highest percentage of residents live in properties without off-street charging - the average time is just three minutes and eight seconds.
According to DfT figures for September, 90% of current EV owners in Britain also have a driveway - and therefore a domestic wallbox
Approximately 35% of UK households have no off-street parking meaning these motorists would be reliant on the public charging network if they were to switch to an EV
Motabilty Operations warns gaps in local charging infrastructure risks discouraging many drivers from making the transition to electric motoring.
The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030, though will allow all hybrid models to remain in showrooms until 2035.
By the end of the decade, ministers have promised to have 300,000 public EV charging points in place across the country to provide solutions for a growing battery-powered car parc.
However, the latest statistics show there are just 85,163 electric vehicle charging points across the UK currently, despite the target deadline being just five years away.
Latest published industry figures show that 11,464 charge points were installed in the UK in the eight months of the year – which is just 47 per day on average.
This is below the 54 put in place on average daily last year, which has further fuelled fears that the EV revolution targeted by ministers in a push to Net Zero has stalled.
A survey of almost 2,250 Britons found that less than a third (31%) are willing to stroll more than 10 minutes to use a public EV charger
Latest published industry figures show that 11,464 charge points were installed in the UK in the eight months of the year – which is just 47 per day on average. This is below the 54 put in place on average daily last year
Some 51 per cent of EV drivers surveyed believe there are enough public chargers across the UK but this falls to 24 per cent among EV drivers with disabilities.
This highlights a 'clear disconnect' between the infrastructure roll-out and the 'real-world needs' of drivers with additional mobility requirements, Motability Operations said.
Andrew Miller, the company's chief executive, said: 'Too many drivers don't trust that they'll be able to charge easily, locally or reliably.
'If we're serious about meeting the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel sales, chargepoints need to be where people live, easy to use, and designed with everyone in mind.
'Until this happens, we risk leaving thousands of drivers behind.'
John Lewis, chief executive of charging provider char.gy, said: 'This research underlines why public charging must match real-world needs.
'Around 40 per cent of UK drivers don't have a driveway and rely on public chargers, yet average walking times to reach them are nearly 12 minutes.
'This is simply too long – especially for those with additional mobility requirements.'
The surveys of 2,243 members of the public and 1,495 Motability customers were conducted by research company Ipsos in August.
The average walking time to public chargers was calculated by consultancy Field Dynamics in partnership with charger locator service Zapmap.
