THE city will need almost 700 more electric vehicle charging points by the end of the decade to keep up with demand.

A report by Worcester City Council reveals that hundreds of new chargers would need to be installed across the city to match the pace of the predicted rise in people switching to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030.

The council wants every person in Worcester to be within a ten minute walk of a vehicle charging point by 2030, according to its recently published 'electric vehicle strategy' where it sets out where infrastructure needs to be improved to help the push towards EVs.

Numbers show the city should be preparing to see around 27,000 electric or hybrid vehicles and vans, as part of the government’s promise to make all new cars and vans from 2030 fully electric.

READ MORE: Call to add electric charging points in Worcester's 'forgotten' areas

A total of 516 electric vehicles were registered in Worcester in 2022 according to the Department for Transport - around one per cent of vehicles.

More than a quarter of Worcester’s harmful emissions come from transport and the council expects the city will need nearly 700 charging points by 2030 including more than 100 fast, rapid and ultra-rapid chargers and the council admits the need will be “significant.”

The council said it would not be able to do it alone and would look to Worcestershire County Council, the owners of the city’s private car parks, housing associations and other EV providers to install more changing points.

The report shows that before EV charging points were installed at St Martin’s Gate car park and the 52 newly-installed chargers at Worcester Arena, facilities were even more limited than they are now.

READ MORE: More electric charging points for Worcester's car parks

Around a third of the city does not have access to a driveway, the council said, with the majority having to rely on off-street parking and car parks and one of the most off-putting reasons for not switching to an electric vehicle is the lack of charging of facilities, according to the report, with residential streets, supermarkets, parks and leisure centres and offices and other places of work all eyed-up as essential locations for charging points for not only residents but tourists and commuters.

The number of charging points at St Martin’s Gate car park could be doubled to 24 - and would cost a quarter of the price of a new location.

Clare Street, Providence Street Commandery Road, Copenhagen Street and Cornmarket car parks are also listed as key sites as well as 27 other council-owned sites including three leisure centres and 11 community centres.

The council would also have to rely on private providers to install the facilities.

The city’s taxi ranks would also need rapid charging points and businesses would require facilities to plug in vans.

The city council will be installing enough charging points to power 28 cars at its King Street and Tallow Hill car parks this year and has been offering to waive licensing fees for taxi drivers who agree to switch to an electric taxi.