Electric car chargers disconnected over serious safety concerns in fresh EV chaos
The chargers were disconnected as a 'precaution'
GETTY
Almost 100 on-street electric vehicle charging points have been disconnected from the grid after concerns were raised about the safety of the devices.
A total of 98 EV chargers have been disconnected in Portsmouth after Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks highlighted issues with them.
It is believed the concerns relate to how the charging points were installed, with the chargers using the electricity supply from lamp columns.
The on-street EV chargers have been operational in Portsmouth since 2019, using power from lampposts in the same way as other chargers across the UK.
WATCH NOW: Quentin Wilson on electric car charging prices
The charging points were installed by one of two major EV operators depending on when they were introduced.
Between them, the companies are responsible for thousands of similar on-street chargers around the country.
Following the warning from SSEN, the charging points were turned off as a “precaution” while the situation is investigated further, according to ITV.
The council has instructed the two charging operators to work with SSEN to resolve the issue, with drivers being left in the dark over a timeline of when they will be switched back on.
Some of the affected chargers are designated parking bays, meaning they can temporarily be used as regular parking spaces for petrol and diesel cars while they are out of action.
Other chargers are still in action around the coastal city with a number at Tesco and Morrisons supermarkets, hotels and multi-storey car parks.
Reacting to the decision to switch the electric car chargers off, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Transport, said it was up to the operators to get the chargers up and running as soon as possible.
He added: "I'm extremely disappointed we have had to take this decision, but we can't ignore concerns from SSEN.
“As someone who uses them, I know this will be a huge inconvenience to all the people who use our on-street charging points and we're very sorry for the disruption.
“There are a number of public charging points still available which people can use and we're putting details of these at all of the disconnected charging points and on our website."
There are currently 51,516 electric vehicle charging points around the country, across more than 30,000 different locations.
This is an increase of just 1,600 new electric car chargers since September although it does represent a 45 per cent increase compared to October last year.
Zapmap data suggests there are more than 680,000 chargers at homes and workplaces across the UK.
The Government previously set a target of 300,000 electric car chargers across the UK by the end of the decade to meet the demand of the surging rate of EVs.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
There are more than 51,000 electric car chargers around the UK
PA
It is not known whether the target is still in effect following Rishi Sunak’s decision to delay the deadline on the ban of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2035.