Study Sees Shortcomings in U.K.’s EV Infrastructure

LONDON – A study of the U.K.’s electrification infrastructure raises serious concerns over whether the region can reach its target for boosting electric-vehicle ownership and use.

Research by Moneybarn, a non-standard vehicle finance provider, reveals the U.K.’s infrastructure currently is unable to accommodate the expected 700,000 extra EVs on its roads by 2020.

There are 100,000 ultra-low-emission vehicles in the U.K. for only 4,615 charging stations. This equates to just one charging station every 53 miles (85 km). In contrast, there are gasoline stations available on average every 29 miles (47 km).

Most current all-electric vehicles need to be charged every 100 miles (161 km), which means the present number of charging stations leaves EV motorists unable to plan for trips other than short commutes.

In addition, just 2,500 of the region’s 14,000 electric chargers are considered “rapid” – able to charge EVs in about 30 minutes. Most chargers now take three to four hours to sufficiently top-up batteries for extended journeys.

The report suggests the U.K. will need a range of technologies for managing electrical consumption to meet an estimated rise of up to 15% in overall demand and to prevent spikes of up to 40% at peak times.

One suggestion has been for drivers to ensure they recharge their EVs overnight when spare power capacity is abundant to avoid power outages. However, 43% of households have no off-street parking, so many drivers will be unable to recharge vehicles overnight in garages or driveways.

The government has introduced the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill in Parliament and aims to invest more than £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) in the industry, to try and resolve some of these issues. However, it’s unlikely these changes will be much help to those who already own an EV.

“While it’s great to see a rise in the adoption of electric vehicles, U.K. infrastructure needs to keep up,” Moneybarn sales and marketing director Simon Bayley says. “Motorists need peace of mind (that) they can complete journeys without the worry of running out of power or (facing) long charging delays. It will be interesting to see how the government responds to this growing need.”