HALF of the council’s super-fast electric car chargers are not working properly.

Worcestershire County Council received a £600,000 grant to install 12 rapid charge points across the region in 2015.

However, electric car drivers claim they are often not able to use the facilities.

Cllr Peter McDonald, an electric car owner and the leader of the county council’s Labour group, said: “It’s disgraceful what the council have done.

“These chargers are not being monitored, it’s not until someone rings up and says a charger is not working that they go around to them.

“The council doesn’t realise the seriousness of these chargers not working. I’ve seen people stranded...they have to get the AA.

“Until they start improving the service and installing more chargers, a lot of people will be put off electric cars.”

Mr McDonald added that it also costs more to use one of the council’s points, compared to chargers at motorway service stations.

He said: “Most people like me won’t use the county council ones because of the price.”

A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said: “We are aware that some faults have been reported with some of the electric car charging points operated and maintained across the county by Chargemaster.

“We’re continuing to liaise with Chargemaster, to ensure that specific ongoing technical issues are resolved as soon as possible.

“There is now a network of over 70 points across the county, and expect to see the network of charging points expand further as the technology and take up continues to develop.”

The spokesman added that some of the issues are down to users incorrectly pressing the emergency stop button on the chargers, to release a connector. 

They said this makes it impossible for Chargemaster to release the connector remotely and requires an engineer to be sent out to the charge point.

On Monday, there were problems with rapid chargers at St Martin’s Gate car park, in Worcester, Webbs of Wychbold, Evesham Leisure Centre, Abbey Stadium, and Greenlands Business Centre, in Redditch, and Kidderminster’s Weavers Wharf.

The county council said Chargemaster was arranging repairs.