Dorset electric vehicle chargers are in demand, business owner says

Martin Cox, who runs holiday park sites in Dorset, warned businesses do not have charging infrastructure

A holiday park owner has said the demand for electric vehicle charging points is on the rise.

Martin Cox, who has six holiday park sites across Dorset, has warned businesses don't have charging infrastructure in the area.

He said: "We've never supplied our customers with petrol or diesel, but suddenly our customers expect us to have electric charging points."

Dorset Council said the increase of charging points was a "key action".

Mr Cox said he has installed the most charging points possible with the current infrastructure

"People arrive, they have travelled two and a half hours," Mr Cox said. "But when they go out the next day, they will have to find somewhere to charge their car quite rapidly."

He added: "We have, at the moment, six charging points - the most we can put into the current infrastructure that we have."

There are 660,000 electric cars currently on the road, according to Zap Map.

Across the UK, it found there are around 7,580 rapid and ultra rapid charging devices but Dorset Council said there were only 276 in the county, often found in more urban areas.

Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt, said historically the focus for chargers has been on cities and motorways

"Six or seven years ago, it was all about London," Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt which develops and installs chargers, said. "It was about putting some infrastructure on the motorways and the big cities."

But he said that "completely ignores the small market towns, the rural communities, the tourist areas".

He added that the number of electric vehicles visiting the south west region was on an upward trajectory and "there will be enough trade to make charges pay back in less busy locations".

A spokesperson for Dorset Council said the authority "will be working closely with local communities, landowners and businesses to identify the best locations to install the new charge points".

They said: "Discussions are also taking place between the council and their current chargepoint operator to develop 'charging hubs' in key tourist hotspots in Dorset."

Dorset is one of 20 areas in England to receive funding from a government scheme aiming to improve electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, securing £1m.

With the funds, the spokesperson said there are plans to expand its charging units by more than 150 over the next two years.