Increasing public uptake of electric vehicles is critical to decarbonising transport. In this blog, SMF Senior Researcher Gideon Salutin shows that success depends on expanding the UK’s chargepoint infrastructure to address drivers’ concerns preventing them from switching to EVs.
This government will likely witness the greatest change in our transport since the invention of the automobile. In 1925 British MPs were scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to deal with all the new petrol vehicles hitting the roads. Pump design, planning reform, how many service stations needed to be installed, and how best to make room for horse-drawn carts were all open questions. A hundred years later, the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is forcing policymakers to consider similar questions, though today it is those petrol cars that are being replaced, not livestock.
By 2030, the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate requires that at least 80% of new car sales will be electric, and Labour plan to push that to 100%. But if policymakers want demand to keep pace, they’ll need to address concerns motorists have with the country’s charging infrastructure.
An AutoTrader survey in 2023 found that 47% of drivers feel there aren’t enough charging points for EVs, second only to expenses as the greatest barrier to uptake. The next five reasons related to charging as well, including battery range and the time needed to charge. The findings were echoed among small businesses, interviewed as part of SMF’s upcoming report on EV affordability, who explained “charging the battery takes too long, and we pay drivers per hour.”
Figure 1: The barriers to consideration – cost and charging
Source: AutoTrader
And there is other cause for concern. While the number of chargepoints has increased overall, chargepoint deployment in the UK has slowed, as the number of chargepoints per EV fell during the pandemic from 1:10 in 2020 to 1:18 in 2022 and has not recovered since. The EU recommends a maximum ratio of 1:10.
Figure 2: Total number of chargepoints in the UK and number of EVs per point
Source: Zapmap and SMF analysis
Labour’s pre-election chargepoint policy provides many positive signals to address those concerns. Planning reform will accelerate the rollout of chargepoints, while binding targets will be set for local councils to meet charging demand in each local authority. Funding from Westminster will be provided to fill gaps in the market, potentially affecting grid connections and increasing chargepoint availability in sparser areas. Skills, manufacturing, and supply chain infrastructure will also benefit from funding to decrease consumer costs and increase reliability, though it remains unclear exactly how much the government plans to invest. Regulations will also be standardised to ensure that an EV’s advertised battery range matches reality on the road, which was a particular worry for businesses we spoke to as part of our reports on EV affordability.
However, four key questions have emerged which need to be resolved if the most rapid EV increase in history is to be effectively executed.
Firstly, how many chargers do we need? Currently, the government has a goal of 300,000 public chargers by 2030. While we are on track to hit that target, there is no guarantee it is sufficient. Given that the country is expected to hold between 8 and 11 million EVs by that point, 300,000 public chargers equates to one for every 32 EVs, well above the EU-recommended maximum of 1:10. The CMA has suggested that by 2030 up to 480,000 public chargepoints will be needed, and pushing above the current target could help accelerate demand.
Labour had committed to “setting a new binding target” and punishing local authorities who fall behind. While adding teeth to these targets is useful, the government hasn’t confirmed how targets will be set, or how much they might be increased. Given that some areas of the country will be better suited to EVs than others, a flat rate per capita is problematic, and local authorities will need to be given targets that adapt to their specific circumstance.
There is one major reason the government may believe 300,000 to be enough: Norway. Norway currently boasts the highest EV sales in the world, with over 91% of car sales now electric. They do so despite having fewer EV chargepoints than recommended, with one charger for every 25 EVs, somewhat closer to the government’s target ratio of 1:32. However, Norway tends to provide more rapid chargers than the UK, which brings me to my next point.
How fast should our chargers be? In the UK there are just 61,000 public chargepoints, 59% of which are slow (less than 8kW) and take about eight hours to recharge the battery. Less than 20% of public chargepoints are considered rapid or ultra-rapid, which typically take between 20 minutes and an hour to charge a car.
Figure 3: Total number of chargepoints in the UK
Source: Zapmap
In contrast, Norway has rapid capacity on 36% of its public chargepoints and on all main roads in 50km increments. This allows Norwegians to more quickly flow through public chargepoints, maximising the value of each station, while feeling confident driving longer journeys.
Common sense policy would see the state involved more actively in deciding where and how rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints should be distributed. Rural and peri-urban households with off-street parking can generally rely on home charging, however, those who live in apartments or in denser areas must rely on public chargepoints. If they want to follow Norway’s lead, the UK will need to ensure that more chargers are made available that can rapidly recharge a vehicle in dense urban centers, while offering cheaper slow chargers at public locations where drivers can park overnight. Rapid chargepoints should also be deployed across the UK’s motorways at similar increments to Norway’s, as the EU mandated in 2023. Local authorities will have a role to play to properly plan a transport system that not only supports EV drivers but predicts their growing and divergent needs over the next decade.
What connectors do we need? Apart from charging speed, there are fifteen types of connectors currently listed by the RAC, and they depend on the car’s brand, model, and year of production. Some chargepoints will only have particular connectors available, leaving motorists stranded at the station if their battery runs low. The situation needlessly increases the risk of running out of power and scares drivers away from EVs.
In the US, where the Biden administration has announced federal funding for chargepoint deployment, that money is tied to stipulations which require recipients in the private sector install the most common connectors on the market in each of their charging stations to improve interoperability. A similar policy in the UK would mandate standardised chargepoint locations that include CCS connectors, which is fast-becoming the industry standard.
Lastly, how can we better manage information? When it comes to finding a charger, apps are nearly essential. Different chargepoint operators and EV manufacturers offer different apps which show where chargepoints are located. The app usually includes a map as well as information on costs, speed, and whether there are spots available. However, competition between operators means drivers need multiple apps in order to find nearby chargepoints. Labour’s policy would change that, regulating operators to list all chargepoint stations available.
However, those apps also include payment platforms for drivers to seamlessly plug in their EV. Most charging payments are done online through a drivers’ phone, where a similar problem of competition arises that forces the driver to maintain multiple apps and sort through them to find the right payment. This is particularly daunting for older drivers who tend to drive more and contribute more emissions.
In order to simplify the driver’s experience, the government needs to not only ensure they can access information on a single app but also to pay through one. The government can do this by introducing a single app to list all charging stations, relevant information, and a payment portal. This can be modelled on Oslo’s “Bil I Oslo” which the city introduced in 2023 and has simplified the charging process for city residents. If the central government proves too slow on this issue, local authorities could find apps a useful way to improve connectivity and uptake.
As more and more drivers switch to EVs, their needs are becoming more diverse. The challenge of chargepoint rollout may seem daunting, but it is simpler than our great grandparents’ achievement in transitioning to petrol cars, when they standardised cans, barrels, home refueling, mobile stations, hand carts, and curb-side pumps, while respecting horse-drawn carts. All our government needs to do is implement the regulation needed to stabilise the marketplace and catalyse the shift away from traditional vehicles. The government’s on the right track, but has a few miles left to go.
