The borough has some 1,095 public charge points for electric vehicles. This is more than the number available in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle combined at 977.

EV salary sacrifice and fleet management specialist, Fleet Evolution, says this represents a ‘national disgrace’.

‘Allegedly, the Government’s priority this year and for the rest of this Parliament is to “level up” the country in terms of wealth creation, employment and opportunity, with a focus on bringing the north of the country into line with the south,’ said Fleet Evolution founder and managing director, Andrew Leech.

‘But, at a time when many companies are looking to go electric to meet national and local sustainability targets, they are being held back by a lack of investment in public chargepoints across the north - and especially in our major northern cities which have some of the densest populations in the country.

‘It does seem that, away from the Westminster bubble, there is again one rule for some and another rule for the rest of us.’

A recent EV attitude survey that Fleet Evolution carried out in conjunction with Aston University revealed that the factors that made people hesitate in making the transition to EVs, were 36% cost, 28% range anxiety, and 25% lack of public charging.

Charging infrastructure was an area where lack of detailed knowledge was clearly apparent, with some 67% of those surveyed saying they did not live within five minutes of a public charge point.

‘While the figures are growing nationally, and with the Prime Minster announcing in November that up to 145,000 charge points are to be installed across the country each year through to 2030, it seems ludicrous that there is still such a huge disparity between north and south – especially when our survey showed that public charging was of such great concern to so many people,’ Mr Leech continued.

‘City councils need to step up to the plate and install the requisite infrastructure to support the growing numbers of EVs. Merely creating Clean Air Zones without offering sufficient charge points is simply kicking the can down the road.’