In the early days of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, the biggest concern for consumers was ‘range anxiety’ – how far the vehicle would take you without running out of charge. Auto manufacturers stepped up to the mark and vastly improved the range of their EVs.
Today, ‘availability anxiety’ is seen as the primary barrier to EV take-up in the UK. The question “will I be able to access a charge point when I need one?” is closely followed by questions about being able to compare cost and supplier. Access and affordability are important considerations for any consumer.
In March, the Government revealed its new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, aimed at addressing these concerns. After criticism that the roll-out of a public charging infrastructure was unlikely to meet the growth in sales, the Government announced a new target to increase the number of electric car chargers to 300,000 by
2030 – that’s ten times as many as today. The Department for Transport (DfT) is investing an extra £450m. Additional private capital is expected to boost the fund to around £1.6bn for charging points.
Clearly, the auto industry wants to remove barriers to EV ownership. Sales of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans will end in 2030. Before the Government’s announcement, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) called for a new, fit-for-purpose, regulatory body to “enact proportionate regulation to deliver the best outcomes for consumer experience and expansion of provision.” Let’s translate that. What the SMMT is saying is: “Don’t over-regulate, but make sure that the UK’s EV drivers can access charging facilities fairly”. Or, even more simply, “Let’s put consumer needs first, and make sure they are looked after”.
The SMMT proposed a new regulator, ‘Ofcharge’ to ensure that charging is affordable, accessible and
as easy as – if not easier than – refuelling. Anything that improves the consumer experience – from equality of access to affordability – will help increase the take-up of EVs.
The EV Infrastructure Strategy aims to have a national plan to roll out chargers where they are needed most. While many plug-in car drivers use home-based charge points, a third of British households do not have driveways or designated off-street parking. Public charge points are critical to providing equal access to charging facilities and removing charging anxiety.
Until now, much of the EV charging infrastructure installed in the UK has been driven by the market rather than broader consumer experience. This leads to installations in places like retail parks or hotels, where there is a lot of through-traffic. Or in more affluent areas where there is high EV ownership. Regulations in the form of binding targets would
ensure that EV charging points are installed where they are needed – not just where they are most profitable – and open up EV ownership opportunities for more people.
The DfT’s strategy looks to address many of the SMMT’s plans for minimum standards for consumers, including ad-hoc access and ease of payment at all public charge points – not just rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. Charge point operators (CPOs) should not be able to limit their public charge points to an exclusive payment method.
The March announcement stressed that operators would face legal requirements to allow drivers of EVs to pay by contactless, compare charging prices and find nearby charge points via apps.
These apps should enable consumers to access comprehensive and accurate charge point data, and include real-time charge point data about availability: is the charger available? Is it in use or out of service?
Consumers may also want
to choose which CPO to use based on whether the energy supplied comes from renewable sources – having that data available would enable even more informed choices.
Where the DfT and SMMT’s approaches differ is in the call for a separate regulatory body. The Government’s paper states that it will work with Ofgem to ensure that charge points can seamlessly integrate with the energy system. This ensures that the supply angle is subject to regulation, but perhaps not the consumer experience.
Government targets are one thing, and the investment announced by the Government is certainly a step in the right direction, but it is not the end of the story. EV adoption will depend on the consumer experience. Real change and regulation call for cooperation among the charging network operators, infrastructure providers, energy providers, the Government – including highways and environmental agencies – as well as the automotive industry, to work together to improve the experience of EV owners, drivers and operators.