UK’s Growing Demand For EV Chargepoints

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular across the UK with businesses installing EV charging stations to help support the national EV infrastructure.

WHY ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES BECOMING MORE POPULAR?

With the UK Parliament declaring a climate change emergency, the conversation around a greener UK is at an all-time high.

People and businesses are all trying to do their bit to improve their environmental footprint; and this paired with the rise in petrol prices, is pushing people to consider alternative transport options.

With the increased availability of EV charging points and improvements in technology, electric vehicles are starting to look like a more attractive option.

EVs have never been safer, sleeker or more exciting to drive due to new innovative technologies in the market. This has led to more affordable EVs being built, increasing the demand from individuals and business fleets throughout the UK.

The UK’s EV market grew by 19% in 2019, with one EV being registered every 9 minutes. It’s predicted that by 2040 there will be approx. 36 million EVs on our roads.

CAR MANUFACTURERS ARE HELPING PUSH THE SWITCH TO EV

The UK government has banned the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, with more pressure to bring this deadline forward. Because of this, car manufacturers are now investing heavily to create new EV models to meet this demand.

By the end of 2019, Volvo will only be manufacturing electric vehicles and VW has committed to an investment of 72 billion euros and 300 electric vehicles by 2030. Many other car manufacturers are releasing their latest model of EV, with many more in the pipeline.

WHY ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLES BETTER THAN PETROL/DIESEL VEHICLES?

Firstly, EVs are a lot better for the environment. Petrol and diesel vehicles contribute heavily to air pollution and as individuals and businesses look to reduce their carbon footprint, this is one of the first places they could look.

Although EVs have a higher upfront cost in comparison to regular vehicles, the savings in fuel, tax and maintenance mean they can be cheaper to run.

Currently EVs are slightly more expensive to buy, but over time as the manufacturing of electric batteries and related components improves, costs will decrease. It is predicted that EVs will become cheaper to buy than petrol/diesel vehicles by 2024 (Bloomberg New Energy Finance).

With cheaper upfront and maintenance costs along with reducing their carbon impact, it seems hard to understand why someone wouldn’t want to buy an EV.

HOW WILL THE UK HELP THE GROWTH OF EVS?

• The UK government has created the Road to Zero policy which states how they will support the transition to zero emission road transport.
• There are now Government grants and incentives to boost the demand for EVs e.g. the Workplace Charging Scheme, which will help businesses to install chargepoints in their workplace.
• There are more fuel efficiency standards that are leading car manufacturers to develop more EVs.

HOW EV CHARGEPOINTS CAN HELP BUSINESSES

The poor provision of the charging infrastructure is one of the largest barriers to growth for the UK EV market. By installing EV chargepoints on their premises, businesses can join the growing UK EV infrastructure which offers an array of benefits to businesses.

From increasing their footfall, providing a revenue stream, to future proofing their business, many businesses are seeing the benefits of installing EV chargepoints on their premises and offering a charging service to employees or customers.

This not only helps businesses, but will also contribute to the larger picture throughout the UK with more and more businesses joining the EV charging infrastructure and helping the UK become greener.

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