It is apparently quite difficult to remember that good things come to those who wait. With electric vehicles – which some of us think are good things – the time between introduction and installation of charging infrastructure and mass deployment will, well, it'll take a while. And UK Transport Minister Norman Baker had to just remind his country about that.
Speaking to the Express Online, Baker said that the government's 37-million-pound ($56.6 million US) investment in EV charging stations is not about "instant gratification." He added, "You can't expect to put out charge points and then see people queuing at them the next day." In other words, they're not Apple Stores.
So far, according to Express Online, local governments across the UK have spent around 7.2 million pounds ($11 million) installing chargers. Baker admitted that these stations are not being used much, but said that when people see the stations, they will be more likely to buy plug-in vehicles. There are around 4,100 plug-in vehicles in Britain today. Baker said, "This is a 20-30 year programme. The trajectory of sales is fine and I'm relaxed about it.""The trajectory of [EV] sales is fine and I'm relaxed about it" - UK Transport Minister Norman Baker
Baker was discussing the issue because the UK just announced where the first of the infrastructure investment will be spent. The initial money is headed to local councils, hospitals and rail companies.
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