'Buying an electric car was my stupidest decision'

4 days ago

Ellen Knightin Ludlow

News image — John Diamond said the charging bays were often taken up by non-electric cars

ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC A clean shaven man with grey hair is pictured looking into the camera with a serious expression. He's wearing a black fleece, with a navy blue waterproof coat over the top. He's also got a brown trilby hat on, with a red feather tucked into the hat band. He's stood outside, on the pavement on Mill Street, with three-storey houses behind him, lining the street. Over his left shoulder are rows of black, silver, grey, and blue cars. The sky is grey and overcast. — John Diamond said the charging bays were often taken up by non-electric cars

Buying an electric car was "the stupidest decision I ever made" as finding a place to charge it near home was "like playing roulette", according to an 83-year-old man.

John Diamond, who lives in Ludlow, Shropshire, bought his car in October 2025, hoping for a more cost-efficient way to get around.

Shropshire Council installed chargers on his street in 2023 but, three years later, there are still no signs stopping non-electric vehicles from parking in the bays, which Diamond said they often do.

A spokesperson for the local authority said they were "reviewing the steps required to bring the bays into proper operational use as soon as possible".

Diamond said he saw his move to buy an electric car as stupid in hindsight.

"I was led up the path and told everything was going to be fine because I have chargers on my street," he added.

The charging points on Mill Street are close to the town centre and attractions like the market and Ludlow Castle and, when I visited, the bays were full of what appeared to be non-electric cars.

"They've put in poles for the signs but they just haven't done the signage," Diamond told me, noting that for "most of the day" the charging bays were used by petrol or diesel cars.

ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC A close-up photograph of two small, black electric vehicle chargers. On the left of the photo is the front bonnet of a bright blue car. On the right, is a white and blue building with a bright red front door. The photo looks along the street, into the distance, where more cars are parked. The sky is grey and overcast. — There are no signs to stop non-electric cars from parking next to the chargers

Getting a spot next to the chargers, a minute's walk from his home, was "like playing roulette", Diamond said.

"It's hopeless, absolutely hopeless."

As a result, the 83-year-old said he was "always thinking" about when he would be able to charge his car.

He said he spent about £1,400 installing a charging point at his home - but he did not have a driveway to put his car on, so it could be charged.

Under the Highways Act 1980, you cannot run cables or wires across a road - highway - or pavement.

Diamond said he was waiting for the council to install a cable gully outside his front door, which would let him run his charging cable across to his car without creating a trip hazard.

He claimed the council promised this would be done by January but the local authority had indefinitely delayed the works.

In emails seen by the BBC, a council officer explained that this was due to the local authority "navigating a period of significant internal pressure" and "ongoing financial challenges."

Earlier this month, the leaders of the council revealed they might have to borrow almost £800m over the next five years to pay for increasing annual funding gaps.

ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC A photograph looking down the road, with the back half of a dark grey vehicle visible on the right. The parking bays are demarcated by white spray-painted lines. The buildings are Georgian, three-storey homes, with a large theatre on the right of the street, and a white single-decker bus idling outside it. The sky is grey and overcast. — John Diamond said he was trying to get the council to install a gully across the road so he could run a cable from his house to charge his car

The situation has led Diamond to feel disillusioned by the push for more electric vehicles.

"The whole situation for trying to get people to go green with their cars is a complete misconception," he said.

"The whole thing is a complete farce."

He added he believed there was "no infrastructure big enough to cope with it" and "if you want peace of mind and satisfaction, don't buy an electric car".

A spokesperson for the council said they were aware of the concerns about the Mill Street chargers.

The units were installed "as part of an early scheme" but traffic regulations and signs "were not completed at the time", they added.

"Our highways and parking teams are currently assessing the options and timescales, and we will provide an update once this work is complete," the spokesperson said.

Regarding cable gullies, they reiterated that the council was "navigating significant financial pressures and we are working to confirm the funding and resources needed to undertake this work".

"We have submitted a funding application to the Department for Transport to support this programme, which will enable us to progress the initiative," they said.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.