How many charging stations does the U.K. need?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has praised Britain’s growing network of EV charge-points, but certain areas are struggling. The CMA estimates that the country needs 10 times more charging stations. It currently has a little over 25,000. By comparison, the United States houses around 41,500 EV charging stations.
If citizens are only allowed to purchase EVs in the future, implementation of additional charge-points needs to happen quickly. An estimated 8 million households will be left without charging stations at the current rate.
Additional concerns from the CMA
CMA's research also found that Electric Highway's charging stations might be oversaturating the market and competition is limited. The provider owns 80% of all charge-points in the country, most of which are located along major highways. This overabundance of charging stations in certain areas leads to charging "deserts" in other areas of the country.
CMA has opened an investigation against Electric Highway, which the company is cooperating with. It's unclear what Electric Highway's next move will be to manage these disparities.
This problem is also exacerbated by the postcode lottery system to develop charging stations. Charging stations in rural areas are subject to higher taxes compared to more populated areas. The tax on charging at home is only 5%, but most U.K. citizens don't even have their own garages.
What else is the U.K. doing to improve EV infrastructure?
The rush to build more EV charging stations stems from the U.K. government's push to ban gas-powered cars within the decade. Dealers are still permitted to sell hybrid cars until 2035, after which these vehicles will be phased out in favor of EVs. Additionally, hybrids can only be sold if they produce significantly less carbon than their gas counterparts.
The ban on gas and petrol cars was also bumped from 2040 to 2030, showing the U.K.’s dedication to cleaner cars. Lawmakers have also assured customers that EV charging will be just as easy as regular gas fill-ups.
Increasing charge-points ten-fold won't be easy (or cheap), but it's a necessity to promote EVs. Along with access to charging stations, it's also important to have the right car insurance coverage for an EV or hybrid.