MPs are warning that electric cars could cause blackouts if drivers don’t charge them at night.

The Telegraph reports that the transport committee is telling ministers that the power grid will come under increasing strain as more drivers go electric, so they need to be convinced to charge at off-peak times.

It says the Government has also been urged by MPs to prevent rural areas becoming electric vehicle “not spots” due to a lack of charging points, and that they need to make public charging as cheap as the cost of charging at home. They’re recommendeding VAT cuts to help motorists switch over.

Huw Merriman MP, and the chairman of the transport committee, is quoted by the Telegraph as saying, “Unless the National Grid gains more capacity, consumer behaviour will have to alter so that charging takes place when supply can meet the additional demand. The alternative will be blackouts in parts of the country.”

(Picture – Highways News)