Government’s Ambitious EV Charging Target Likely to be Missed
A new study from the RAC raises serious concerns about the UK government's ambitious plan for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy included a £950m Rapid Charging Fund, aimed at accelerating the rollout of high-powered chargers. But despite this, the RACs report suggests that the government may fall short of its goal to install six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV charging points at each motorway service station across England by the end of 2023.
According to the RAC's comprehensive review of 119 motorway services on Zapmap, only 23% have reached the government's target. That's a little over a quarter, an uncomfortable fact when one considers the estimated 760,000 EVs on UK roads today. To meet the demand of this expanding fleet, a robust charging network is vital. Yet, the RAC's study paints a stark picture of the current scenario.
Key findings from the report include:
There are about 400 high-powered charging units at motorway services, capable of charging 682 EVs simultaneously.
An average of just over three rapid or ultra-rapid chargers are available at each motorway service across England.
Six motorway services in England, including Leicester Forest on both sides of the M1 and Tebay South on the M6, lack any high-powered chargers.
RAC's EV spokesperson Simon Williams stressed the gravity of these findings. "Our report shows much work is needed to meet the government's end-of-year target," Williams said. "The process of connecting these charging units to the grid is expensive and time-consuming. However, more must be done to simplify this process and ensure sufficient high-powered charging is readily available."
Williams also warned that a lack of charging facilities is becoming a deterrent for potential EV drivers, risking the government's target of 80% of new cars sold being zero-emission by 2030.
There's more. The latest statistics from Zapmap reveal that out of the 42,566 charging devices in the UK, only a fifth are rapid or ultra-rapid. When combined with the RAC's findings, they found that a mere 5% of all high-powered chargers are at motorway services.
Collaboration between the government, EV manufacturers, and infrastructure providers is crucial to overcoming the challenges and putting the country on the fast lane to a green, electric future.
Despite the hurdles, the future of EVs in the UK remains promising. Particularly if you’re looking at selling one. TaxiPoint recently reported that 5-year-old LEVC TXs were coming on the market at around £40k. That’s a loss of around £15k from new. Although a significant amount, this shows that EVs have a significantly higher residual value that traditionally fueled vehicles.