The growing competition for electric vehicle charge points in the UK does not have adequate support from either central or local government, threatening to halt UK’s zero-emission transition plans, according to the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Report released this week.
Released by Novuna Vehicle Solutions, one of the UK’s largest vehicle financers, the report includes insights from over 2,000 motorists. It highlights that as electric car registrations have increased by over 450% in the last three years, the number of EVs chasing every public chargepoint has also grown threefold, rising from a ratio of 5:1 in January 2019 to a ratio of 15:1 in January 2022.
“Demand for EVs has accelerated at a relentless pace, yet we’re rapidly facing the prospect of failing to realise the level of adequate public charging infrastructure to support mass adoption of EVs by the start of the next decade,” said Jonny Berry, head of decarbonization at Novuna Vehicle Solutions.
The rapidly growing competition for public chargepoints means that one in three (31%) EV drivers now frequently have to queue for a charger, with many wishing there was greater attention paid to their plight. Three in four (76%) report that based on their experiences of EV ownership, the UK’s current charging infrastructure is simply unfit for purpose.
Despite this growing divide between the supply and demand of public charging infrastructure, three in five (59%) drivers of petrol or diesel (ICE) vehicles say their next car is likely to be an EV. Novuna predicts that this future demand will result in more than half of UK adults being EV drivers by 2030, the date when the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be phased out. This would equate to 54 EVs vying for every public device by 2030 – even if the 300,000 public chargepoint milestone is reached.
“Even if we manage to hit this magic tenfold number, we expect to see the ratio of cars to chargers will increase from 15:1 to 54:1, and that’s going to mean a lot more competition for charger provision; competition which is already being felt today in many parts of the country, unless the new government reignites investment in this area,” added Berry.
For most motorists, the onus is on the public sector to accelerate the rollout of charge points. Four in five EV drivers (81%) want the Government to do more to boost the number of chargers in the UK, and virtually the same proportion (79%) want their local authority to do more. Petrol and diesel drivers agree (71% and 68% respectively), wanting to see better provision before they make the switch.
Despite these shortcomings, the vast majority of EV owners say they enjoy driving their vehicles and can't imagine ever driving a traditional car again. Three quarters (78%) of EV drivers say their next vehicle will be an EV of some kind with younger generations most eager to make the switch.