Steve Nash, the former CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), said volatile global fuel markets and the spike in pump prices caused by the war in the Middle East could see more drivers switch to electric ahead of the UK's 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

Steve Nash, former CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) (Image: Supplied)

The former BMW Group director, who spent over 26 years at the car manufacturer and lives in Reepham, said Norfolk does not yet have the level of charging infrastructure needed to support the transition to electric - particularly in the most rural areas of the county.

There are currently 1,473 public EV charging points across Norfolk.

Compared to other counties in the UK, Norfolk sits around mid-table for access to public chargers. This means it is better supplied than many rural shires, but far behind large urban areas in London, the South East and West Midlands.

Norfolk County Council said the county currently leads East Anglia for both the total number of public chargers and the number per 100,000 of the population.

The East of England has 9,880 public EV chargers. Greater London has 30,912, followed by the South East with 15,383 (Image: Zapmap)

"We're quite significantly beyond the early adopter phase now with EVs," Mr Nash said.

"But there remains a lack of charging points and accessibility for an awful lot of people in Norfolk, with a significant number of people who don't have off-street parking.

"It's about people having the confidence to........

© Norwich Evening News