Charging Provider Sees 1 Million EVs in U.K. by 2022

LONDON – One million electric vehicles on U.K. roads by 2022 is the confident prediction of a charging infrastructure provider.

And the claim by Chargemaster receives an extra boost with news that Korean automaker Kia has joined its push by launching a new Electric Vehicle Experience Center (EVEC) in Milton Keynes, a suburb north of London.

According to Chargemaster, allowing for a modest increase in consumer uptake, the projection is based on a growth in EVs of just over 7% of new-car registrations.

The U.K.’s 100,000th plug-in car was registered in May, which Chargemaster celebrated by driving a fleet of 25 EVs from Greenwich to Kia’s EVEC, a distance of 100,000 meters or 62 miles.

“We have seen tremendous growth in the uptake of electric cars over the past five years, as they’ve become more competitive in terms of costs, and more practical in terms of range,” Chargemaster CEO David Martell says. “The number of EVs on U.K. roads has increased from fewer than 2,000 in July 2012 to more than 100,000 today.

“We expect the U.K. electric-vehicle parc to rise to more than 1 million by the middle of 2022, but it could grow to as much as 1.4 million. Over the next five years, a significant number of new models will have a range of more than 200 miles (322 km), with a lower purchase price than their earlier vehicles.”

The EVEC is the U.K.’s first multibrand showroom where visitors can discuss the merits of owning an EV and to test-drive the options available to them in one place.

Martell adds: “Consumers will also be able to choose from a larger range of electric vehicles, from manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Volvo, as well as significant new models such as the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model 3.”

Kia will have a range of models on show and available for test-driving, including the all-electric Soul and Optima plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle. The all-electric Soul claims a driving range of 132 miles (213 km), costing just £2.80 ($3.64) in electricity. It’s fitted as standard with a charging-point locator, 8-in. (20-cm) touchscreen satellite navigation, digital radio, dual-zone climate control with driver-only function, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and a reversing camera system.

In all-electric mode, the Optima has a range of up to 33 miles (53 km) and features an 8-in. touchscreen navigation system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with Kia Connected Services powered by TomTom as well as a wireless mobile-phone charger.

Milton Keynes runs a Go Ultra Low City scheme where the target is for 23% of all new cars registered locally to be electric by 2021.