GWENT is lagging behind the electric car revolution according to recent Department for Transport data – with only Monmouthshire ahead of the curve.

Torfaen and Caerphilly are the worst performing areas in Gwent – falling well behind the national average.

In Caerphilly there were just 12 public charging devices in the area at the start of April. That is a rate of seven per 100,000 people.

In Torfaen, the number was just eight – nine per 100,000 people due to the smaller population.

Across the UK, the number rose by 19 per cent during the six-month period to slightly fewer than 18,000 in April – a rate of 27 per 100,000.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said the issue for drivers was less about the number of chargers and more about whether they work and are easy to use.

He added: “It’s high time connecting to a charge point proved no more challenging than pulling onto a service station forecourt to fill up with petrol and pay with your credit card."

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Blaenau Gwent only fared slightly better than Caerphilly and Torfaen, with eight devices leading to an average of 11 charging units per 100,000 people.

Things look better in Newport, but the city remains behind the curve on the green transport revolution.

There were just 28 public charging devices in the area at the start of April.

That equates to a rate of 18 per 100,000 people.

Monmouthshire was the region’s only success story, ahead of the national average by 10 per cent.

In the county, there were 35 charging points at the start of April – 37 per 100,000 people.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Encouraging drivers to make the switch to electric cars will also encourage both councils and businesses to install charging infrastructure.

“We believe that further incentives are required to ease the transition to lower-emission vehicles, such as cutting VAT on the sale of certain vehicles or targeted scrappage schemes.”