'Technical issue' prevents people with EVs charging their own cars
It could be sometime before members of the public can charge their personal EVs in Exeter using the new on-street chargers
We've learnt the new rapid on-street electric car charging points in Exeter could have to be replaced - if a technical issue is unable to be resolved.
A concern with the interface - for drivers of private electric vehicles - mean the units can only be used with the city's electric hire cars and not personal cars.
The chargers chosen for Exeter - and installed last year - are different to the ones being used in Plymouth, which is unaffected by the problems.
It frustrates Exeter-based active travel campaigner Dan Grey, who said: "These chargers basically aren't fit for public use in their current state.
"Co Cars, the local co-car club company, their Volkswagen ID3s which are now dotted around Exeter - and you can pay to hire for an hour or a few hours or a day - they can all be charged up on these chargers and that's great.
"But the problems with the user interface on these chargers mean they can't be used by the general public and from what we were told they'll never be able to be used by the general public in their current state.
"Our understanding is that all these chargers have to be ripped out and replaced with a different technology before they can be used by the public which of course is crazy.
"It's a massive missed opportunity and there's quite a lot of wasted public money there as it stands."
The chargers were funded through a multi-million grant to Devon from the Government to improve access to chargers for people unable to install an EV charger at home.
A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: “The chargers weren't purchased, the manufacturer secured government funding to develop the new rapid-charging technology.
"As sometimes happens with new technology, there can be teething problems and, in this case, technical issues mean that we can’t yet make them publicly accessible.
"We are working on a solution and in the meantime their use has been restricted to Co-Cars for use by their publicly accessible vehicles.
"Devon County Council is working with the manufacturer to resolve the matter so the public will have access to on street chargers at these locations soon.”
Last year Greatest Hits Radio produced a week of features looking at the roll out of EV chargers across Devon which you can read and watch here