Welsh Government Electric Vehicle plans need a jolt says Anglesey AM

The Labour Welsh Government needs to significantly up its game regarding the development of a network of rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging points, according to prominent EV campaigner Rhun ap Iorwerth, Assembly Member for Ynys Môn, after Plaid Cymru recently secured £2m in funding to develop a rapid charging network.

The Plaid Cymru AM has led the party’s campaign for better adoption of EV technology, proposing legislation in the Assembly that would make charging points a part of future planning guidelines and regularly raising questions with Welsh Government.

Mr ap Iorwerth recently borrowed an EV to conduct his weekly Assembly business in a bid to demonstrate the challenges of owning an EV using the current infrastructure.

In a statement by Mr Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, in the Assembly last week, the Labour AM provided an update on the progress of the EV charging network development, noting that he “aimed” for Transport for Wales “to go out to procurement” to develop the network next spring.

Mr ap Iorwerth has called on Welsh Government to up its game and move forward in its plans with more urgency, and had this to say following the Cabinet Secretary’s statement:

“Plaid Cymru is proud to have secured £2 million of funding towards the development of a national EV charging network as part of the two-year budget deal with Welsh Government, but Welsh Government really needs to up its game in developing the network as progress has been very slow, with very little enthusiasm being shown for the excitement and potential of such a development.

“In the spring it was announced that, whereas in Scotland there is one for every 7,000 people, in Wales there is only one publicly-funded charge point for every 100,000 people. That is appalling, and this is a situation that needs to change very quickly.

“Wales is being left behind again by this Labour government. Investing this £2m quickly and efficiently would be a positive first step – it’s time for Welsh Government to take this matter seriously.”