The UK is currently on track to meet targets for charge points but the Government can speed up the rate of growth by addressing barriers to roll-out by providers.

The report says most public chargers costs less than 69p/kWh – cheaper than filling a petrol or diesel car

A new report by independent transport research organisation New AutoMotive takes stock of the current state of the UK’s public charging network and finds the UK is on target to hit the Government’s plans for 300,000 public chargers by 2030.

But it uncovers barriers to adoption that have slowed charge point installations in recent months, including regulatory changes, electrical connection costs and land access/planning permission.

Tackling such barriers will help keep infrastructure progress on track – but the report finds that the most crucial barrier the Government can help industry overcome is uncertainty about future demand for public charging services.

And it says the ZEV mandate – due to go live in 2024 but lacking implementation details – is key to underpinning supply and supporting charger growth.

Ciara Cook, research & policy officer at New AutoMotive, commented: “The forthcoming ZEV mandate is the most powerful tool at the Government’s disposal as it seeks to overcome these barriers; it will ensure the supply of EVs in the UK meets demand, resulting in more electric cars on the road, and providing the charging infrastructure industry the security and certainty it requires to continue to grow at pace.”

The report also finds that charging an EV is cheaper than filling up a petrol or diesel car when it is charged at a price lower than 0.687 £/kWh – around seven in 10 public chargers are below this price point. The average cost of charging via Pod Point (47p/kWh), ChargePlace Scotland (30p/kWh), Ubitricity (42p/kWh), and BP Pulse (52p/kWh), collectively the four largest public providers in the UK, all fall well below this figure.

Ciara Cook added: “Before they make the switch to an electric car, motorists need the confidence that they will be able to charge their cars when and where they need to. There have been a lot of concerns recently about the UK’s electric car charging infrastructure. This report represents the most comprehensive examination thus far carried out on the UK’s fledgling charging infrastructure industry. The findings are reassuring, especially given recent concerns around the rate of network growth.”

To access the report, click HERE.