Electrical Safety First warned that an inadequate public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is forcing drivers in the UK to take risks by opting for dangerous alternatives at home.
According to a survey by the Charity, three-quarters of those who resort to charging from their home mains supply admit to "daisy-chaining" multiple extension leads plugged into one another, to reach their car. This is despite it being advised against in all circumstances due to electrocution and fire.
The Charity are urging the Government to expand the national network of public charging points, as its findings reveal the growth rate of licensed plug-in vehicles is overtaking the number of charging points available.
Analysis of data from the Department for Transport (DfT) and website Zap-Map has revealed the growth rate of licensed plug-in vehicles to be almost six times faster over the last five years than that of public charging-point locations in the UK.
In the survey of 1,500 electric vehicle owners, including all-electric and hybrids, 74% of respondents said the shortage of public charging points near their home had led them to use domestic multi-socket extension leads, not suitable for outdoor use, to charge from the mains in their home.
This is despite almost nine out of 10 respondents admitting they were aware that these should not be used outdoors. Over half of electric vehicle users who charge using an extension lead also said they had left cables running to their vehicle in the rain.
The latest figures reveal the number of charging point locations ranges from 147 per 100km2 in London (2.6 per 10,000 residents) to 1.55 per 100km2 (1.03 per 10,000 residents) in Wales.
Electric vehicles are seen as key to Government plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, with the aim of all cars to by effectively zero emissions by 2040.
Electrical Safety First urges consumers to take advantage of Government grants to help fund the cost of a specifically designed home charging point, which is safer than charging from the mains.
A DfT spokesperson said "drivers should be able to charge their electric vehicles on a network that is accessible, reliable, affordable and safe, and almost 1,000 public connectors have been installed in the last 30 days alone".
"Nearly 120,000 charge points have been installed across the UK to date and we are continuing to accelerate the growth of infrastructure through a range of initiatives, including up to £500 off the upfront cost of residential installations".
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