Last updated on January 9th, 2023 at 03:24 pm
More than eight in 10 have a home charger, however 90% continue to use the UK’s public charging networks on a regular basis, UK’s charge point mapping service Zap-Map has found in a survey.
The findings of the UK-wide survey of EV drivers show that most use the public network on a more or less monthly basis, with some using it much more frequently and others less so.
The annual EV charging survey, which was conducted in September 2022, has the responses from more than 4,300 Zap-Map users. The survey covers a broad spectrum of topics. From the main reasons people are buying electric cars, through to sentiment on charging prices and EV owners’ driving and charging habits, the survey uncovers how EV drivers are interacting with the different types of location available to charge their vehicle.
The poll drills down into key aspects of electric car charging behaviour, such as what types of charger drivers are using, where they tend to charge, and how long their charging sessions last. The survey also found a significant increase in usage of EV charging hubs, partly due to the number of longer-range EVs now available. Indeed, hubs such as these are now the third most popular location type after supermarket car parks and motorway service stations, which continue to be the two most popular charging locations.
As such, while Pod Point remains the network used by the highest number of respondents on a regular basis, this year sees InstaVolt and GRIDSERVE – two networks installing these charging hubs – moving into second and third place in terms of popularity, the company said. Indeed, 41% of respondents said they regularly use InstaVolt chargers, while 40% said the same for GRIDSERVE Electric Highway – up from 29% last year.
“With the number of pure-electric cars on UK roads now over 600,000, the country needs a public charging network able to cope with a diverse range of needs,” said Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zap-Map. “As EV adoption accelerates and enters a more mainstream demographic, how EV drivers without a home charger go about charging their car will be a key question over the coming year and beyond.”
Shufflebotham further said the need for on-street and other local charging provision is only going to become more pressing.
Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zap-Map, said: “With the expansion of the UK’s charging network affecting many organisations across the country in different ways, this survey is key to understanding how the EV landscape is changing in front of our eyes, and to identifying trends across en-route, destination and on-street charging.”