EV charging firm Instavolt hits out after being denied permission to build huge wind turbine in Hampshire countryside
An EV charging firm is furious that it has not been allowed to build a huge wind turbine in the Hampshire countryside
Ministers are being urged to take action on electric vehicle (EV) charging signage after a wind turbine planning application was rejected.
Ultra-rapid EV charging operator InstaVolt called for “clearer co-ordination” between Whitehall and local government. Its bid to install a 59-metre tall “non-functional” wind turbine at its flagship site in Winchester was rejected by Winchester City Council.
The company said it wanted to use the structure to draw attention to the “persistent failure” to provide adequate roadside signage directing drivers to public EV chargers. This is seen by the charging industry as a key barrier to wider adoption of EVs.
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced in July last year that road signs for charging hubs will be introduced on major A roads in England.
But InstaVolt claimed it is “still waiting for that to translate into action” and warned there is a “systemic gap between the government’s stated ambition on EV infrastructure and its delivery on the ground”.
The company’s chief executive Delvin Lane said: “We’re delivering on our commitments to build critical EV infrastructure using private investment, and we need Government to deliver on its promises as well. We’ve faced an ongoing battle with signage, and we know more can be done.
“We’re doing everything we can to make charging simple and convenient for drivers, but too often people still struggle to find charging locations easily. That creates unnecessary friction for drivers and risks slowing wider EV adoption.”
The DfT was approached for a comment.