Pensioner returns electric car and loses £7,000 after ‘impossible’ EV charging situation

A pensioner has given up his electric car and lost thousands of pounds after unsuccessfully battling Oldham council over an ‘impossible’ charging situation.

David Kelsall, from Hathershaw, pleaded with the council for six months to let him charge his car outside his home over fears for his health and safety. 

But ultimately, Mr Kelsall felt forced to swap his car – losing out on £7,000. 

The retired car mechanic previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he felt unsafe using the nearest public charger, three miles away from his home, because of his heart condition and anti-social behaviour in the area. 

Mr Kelsall said: “This ordeal was making me ill.

"It was my only solution to end my frustration.

"The cost and worry of having to keep going to public chargers was the cause of this decision.” 

He added that he felt he’d been forced to ‘bite the bullet’ and buy a Fiat 500 hybrid.

But he was ‘upset’ that more could not be done to accommodate EV users with no off-street parking. 

“Councils will need to address that anyone who buys an EV will face the same problems I have had,” Mr Kelsall added.

“This will affect EV sales, which are declining.” 

The pensioner claimed he bought his car in response to the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, which is supposed to come into force in 2030.

But after a major backlash from car manufacturers over stagnating EV sales, the government is now reportedly looking at ways to loosen the commitment. 

The plateau in sales could be linked to the fact that around a third of UK households – and more than half in the north of England – don’t have access to off-street parking, a major obstacle to EV ownership, according to Transport for the North (TfN). 

Councillor Chris Goodwin previously responded that the council is ‘still waiting for guidance’ on how to deal with situations like Mr Kelsall’s, and that cables running across pavements, or tucked into pavement channels could pose a risk to pedestrians – especially those with limited vision or mobility. 

And a council source added that while the council is currently working on a wide-scale roll out of EV charging stations across the borough, there are certain roads – such as Mr Kelsall’s – that pose a significant challenge due to their layout.

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