THERE are more public electric vehicle charging points in Dorset than there were two years ago, new figures show.

People were urged to “invest in our planet” on Earth Day 2022 on Friday and the Government is aiming to phase out petrol and diesel-powered cars by 2030.

But with battery electric vehicles planned to account for all car sales by 2035, it has faced criticism from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, whose members say there are not enough charging points for many people to buy electric vehicles.

Department for Transport figures show there were 130 publicly provided charging points in Dorset on January 1 – up from 90 the year before and 69 two years ago.

They were among 28,375 installed across the UK at the start of this year, up from 16,505 in January 2020.

Dorset residents had also installed 1,649 at-home charging points through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme as of January 1 – a 121 per cent increase over the last two years, further Department for Transport figures outline. The scheme gives applicants a 75 per cent grant towards the cost of installing the charging point up to £350.

There have also been 103 charging points installed at workplaces.

But with residents requiring “designated, private off-street parking” for the Homecharge Scheme, the SMMT has argued for more investment for those who only have on-street parking available.

Across the south west, only 17 charging points have been fitted as a part of the On-Street Residential Scheme, to which local authorities can apply to fund installations.

A further 107 applications have been approved since April 2019, but installation remains incomplete.

On Friday, events took place around the world for Earth Day 2022, with a focus on encouraging businesses, including in the motoring sector, to invest in sustainable products and enterprises.

Separate figures from the SMMT show there are now more than 460,000 battery-electric cars in the UK, more than double the number two years before.

On average, an electric car will emit around one-third less carbon dioxide than an equivalent petrol or diesel car, says Transport & Environment, a European clean transport campaign group. But a lack of charging points is putting people off from switching, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes argues.

“The automotive industry is up for the challenge of a zero-emission new car and van market by 2035,” he said. “Delivering this ambition needs more than automotive investment; it needs the commensurate commitment of all other stakeholders, especially the charging industry.”

The Government announced major investment plans in charging infrastructure last month, totalling £1.6 billion across a range of schemes. They include the already announced £950 million Rapid Charging Fund, to install more than 6,000 rapid chargers onEngland’s motorways, and a £450 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund to address the shortfall of local charging points. By 2030, the Government aims to provide 300,000 public charging points, 18 times the number a decade previously.