Independent car dealership Browns of Richmond is urging North Yorkshire County Council to press ahead with – rather than pause – its £8m rollout of electric vehicle chargers, after reporting a sharp rise in demand for used EVs.
The authority, which secured more than £8m in government funding to install hundreds of “accessible and affordable” public chargers, has put the scheme on hold while it reviews its approach in response to changing market conditions and seeks a new delivery partner.
Fraser Brown, co-founder of Browns of Richmond, located on the town’s Gallowfields Trading Estate, said the shift in consumer behaviour is already happening.
He said: “Demand isn’t going to wait for plans to be reviewed, people need access to reliable charging now.
“Since the outbreak of the Iran war, we’ve seen a threefold increase in used EV sales. Rising fuel costs and wider global uncertainty are accelerating the move away from petrol and diesel faster than many anticipated, and we’re seeing that first-hand on the forecourt every day.
“North Yorkshire is the largest and one of the most rural counties in England, which makes access to public charging all the more important. For a significant proportion of residents, particularly those without off-street parking, affordable public infrastructure is essential if they are not to be excluded from the transition to emission-free motoring.
“It’s not just about residents either. Tourism is a huge part of the local economy, and more visitors are arriving in electric vehicles. If they can’t charge easily and reliably, they may simply go elsewhere.
“I understand the need to ensure value for money, but there’s also a cost to delay. Every month without sufficient infrastructure risks slowing adoption, widening the rural-urban gap, and missing an opportunity to futureproof transport across the county.
“The funding is there, and the demand is already here, but what we need now is momentum.”
North Yorkshire Council received more than £8m in government funding to install a network of “accessible and affordable” EV chargers to help both residents and visitors.
Council chiefs were due to appoint an operator to install the chargers last year.
However, it emerged last week that work on the roll-out has been halted.
An EV industry website claimed the plans had been “abandoned” by the authority, but council chiefs say it has just been paused while the authority reveiws its options.
