MOTORISTS are relying on their local councils to provide adequate on-street charging for electric vehicles.

A study by Vauxhall has revealed that 75 per cent of drivers are depending on local authorities to install on-street charging to meet the demands of an increasing numbers of EV owners.

The car maker - which launched its Electric Streets of Britain initiative to support local councils across the country accelerate on-street charging infrastructure in 2023 - fears that support for EVs has dropped off the political agenda.

According to Vauxhall, only 30 per cent of respondents in the survey said motorists who own or want to own an EV are supported by their local council, with numbers noticeably lower in regions outside of London.

Highlighting the issues further, only 10 per cent of drivers told Vauxhall they were happy with the levels of on-street charging in their area, with satisfaction rates in Wales dropping to as low as four per cent.

Electric Streets of Britain was created by the company to address the lack of on-street charging provision in the UK, and support councils across the country with the acceleration of local charging infrastructure.

On-street charging access is essential to ensure drivers can charge electric vehicles with ease and convenience, especially for the 40 per cent of drivers in the country without access to a driveway.

Alongside an online database for drivers to register charging needs in their area, Vauxhall has established an ‘Enablement Fund' to help local authorities, working with leading charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge.

Vauxhall says there are high levels of interest for charge point installations logged in cities including Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham - all in localities where a large percentage of drivers say EV owners require further support from their local authority.

James Taylor, managing director of Vauxhall, said: "While recent figures show charge point numbers are increasing, our latest research highlights how drivers are increasingly reliant on their local authorities to make sure infrastructure needs are being met.

"Our Electric Streets of Britain initiative was launched to support local authorities, working with our partners to educate councils on the importance of installing more accessible on-street charging to ensure no driver is left behind on the UK's journey to electric.

"We hope to see local councils listening to these drivers who are reliant on their support to provide confidence and ensure motorists across the country feel they can join the electric transition efficiently and safely."

Recent figures show London holds up to 60 per cent of the UK's on-street chargers, with wider regions lagging.

In Vauxhall's most recent research, London was found to be the only region of the country where the majority of motorists say EV drivers are supported by their local council.

London was also the only area where more than 50 per cent of drivers noticed issues around EV infrastructure playing a role in political campaigning ahead of the local elections.

By the end of this year, Vauxhall will offer a fully electric version of every car and van model in its line-up.

Vauxhall was the UK's best-selling electric van manufacturer in 2023, while the Corsa Electric was the UK's best-selling small electric car and the Mokka Electric the best-selling electric compact crossover model last year.

The survey of 2,000 motorists was conducted by Vauxhall in April this year.