A poll of almost 1,500 members of consumer group Which? who drive a pure electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle showed most of them (about 74 per cent) were unhappy with the current public charging infrastructure. 

In addition, two out of five (40 per cent) of those polled reported finding a non-working charger, while 61 per cent have suffered difficulties making payments. Almost half (45 per cent) of those questioned estimated that the nearest public on-street chargepoint to their home is more than a 20-minute walk away.

Moreover, the vast majority of EV owners (84 per cent) who use public chargers want the option of paying by a contactless bank card, the survey suggests. At the moment, most chargepoints require drivers to pay through an app.

“Our research shows that the public EV charging infrastructure is falling short as many drivers struggle to find reliable charging points in good working order, have to navigate confusing payment systems, or are unable...