Leon Wong, EV Business Development Manager, Pilot Group
Almost two years ago, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged that the UK would be the fastest nation in the G7 to decarbonise road transport. In a bid to achieve this and inspire a shift away from fossil fuels, the Government set itself ambitious goals which would see the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the country.
The action plan saw the UK commit to achieving two key goals. The first, ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The second, for all new cars and vans to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035. But in order to achieve this with just over seven years to go, the UK urgently needs to bolster its EV infrastructure. This means investing in the right infrastructure in the right locations.
Looking at the numbers, the UK boasts an impressive amount of EV charging points. At the end of August 2022, there were just under 34,000 charging points and 20,500 charging locations across Britain. This represents a 34 percent increase in the number of charging devices since August 2021, with these figures excluding those located at home or at workplace locations.[i]
On the face of it, the number of charging points vastly outweighs that of petrol stations across the country by almost double, with the UK hosting around 8,400 stations.[ii] So it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the UK’s infrastructure is in a place where we’ll see a dramatic shift towards EVs at the expense of petrol motors by the all-important deadline. But delve into the numbers a little more, and there is still plenty of work to do.
While there are more EV stations than petrol stations, there are fewer charging points than petrol pumps. Considering the majority of petrol forecourts have at least 4 or more pumps, they massively outweigh the amount of chargers. Charging stations, which average one per 11.9 square kilometres, average around 1.65 available ports. As a result, when one charger is in use, the likelihood is that other road users will struggle to find a spot for themselves. Not all users will need access to the public network, as they will likely charge their vehicles at home or at work where they spend most of their time. However, there is too much disparity in each region of available public charge points up and down the country.
There are issues at home which need addressing too. Dwellings are the most common place for charging vehicles with 35 percent of EV drivers using them, typically between 5pm and 8pm. So, if a dramatic uptake in EVs occurs and this trend continues, it will be essential to reinforce residential power grids to meet the demand for charging. The same goes for industrial and business areas looking to offer EV drivers a place to fuel their vehicle.
Meanwhile, investment in public charging points closer to homes are vital to cater for those in cities such as London, where 52 percent of drivers do not have access to off-street parking.[iii] These points need to provide the fastest charging possible to minimalize the time spent by each individual driver. Rapid or ultra-rapid DC charging can provide between 50kW – 350kW and charge a car in around 40 minutes. Fast AC charging offers an output of 3.6 – 22kW, with average charging time of between 4 to 6 hours. Depending on the location, whether at home or on forecourts, investment should be geared towards achieving a rollout of charging points which can utilize the different charging capabilities of EVs.
A key focus of introducing off-street parking charging should see a solid mix of both AC and DC points so the infrastructure caters for all. AC charging is cheaper than DC, better for the longevity of a battery, and more cost efficient to install as infrastructure. Naturally, EV drivers will install home chargers, and workplaces are putting in place measures to help speed along the transition. So it is therefore necessary for the Government to support local authorities on solutions for off-street parking.
The above are key issues which need to be addressed, and only by working together can we achieve this. While the Government must double its efforts to hardwire the necessary infrastructure needed, businesses have a role to play too. They can help drive the transition towards EVs by introducing measures which will see their premises fit for accommodating EVs.
For businesses this means they must open the door for drivers to choose EV. Pilot Group is an expert in this field. With extensive knowledge of electric charging technology, we work with businesses across the UK to provide them with the necessary tools which will bolster their EV charging capabilities, and present EVs as a realistic and unhindered option for many of their employees.
By sharing our knowledge of the EV landscape, we believe we can help achieve a petrol-free future. But there is still plenty of work to do from all parties if we are to see a mass exodus away from traditional gas guzzlers. Accelerating the rollout of infrastructure, whether it’s installing more publicly accessible charging points, reinforcing power grids so they are robust enough to meet demand, or working with industry to drive forward innovation, is crucial. At Pilot Group we are passionate about supporting this.
If moving to an electric vehicle is something you are considering and want to talk about charging infrastructure, it might be worth giving us a call.
Leon Wong is EV Business Development Manager of Pilot Group, a sustainable technology expert which is helping to pave the way towards carbon neutral future with its smart, safe and sustainable infrastructure solutions.
[i] https://www.zap-map.com/statistics/
[ii] https://www.statista.com/statistics/312331/number-of-petrol-stations-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/#:~:text=The%20United%20Kingdom%20is%20home,stations%20and%20those%20under%20development.
[iii] https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/power-utilities/insights/electric-vehicle-infrastructure-report-april-2018.html