Across the UK, electric vehicle (EV) charging points are more than 13,000, which represents an increase of over five times since 2011. Even so, the number is still insufficient with petrol stations still common and popular than public EV charging points. As a result the government has indicated it’ll be doubling the EV charging points across the UK by targeting local authorities with some investment.
Pledged investment
A £2.5 million investment has been pledged by the government to raise the entire investment nationally to £5 million. In the process, 1,000 EV charging points will be introduced. According to Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, the UK has over 20,000 charging points accessible to the public, which is double the total number of petrol stations. According to the Secretary, it’s important for EV drivers to be assured of readily available charging points close to where they live. Charging EVs should become as easy as connecting Smartphones to chargers at home.
Charging infrastructure affecting on EV adoption
According to an investor in the EV industry, the intake of EVs across the board within the UK has been hampered by the slow introduction of charging points and related infrastructure. With so many investors in the industry designing and developing charging systems the industry remains dogged by the uncertainty of unpredictable future consumer traits that has become a risk affecting most businesses. As a result they mostly attract venture or strategic capital and not the typical infrastructure capital many would expect.
Major uncertainties
The uncertainties dogging the EV industry are diverse and related to the type of technology (in this case DC or AC), charging points and the anxiety of grounded EV charging infrastructure and issues related to operating systems. As a result, EV charging infrastructure analyst and investors believe public stakeholders need to be closely involved to foster enhanced visibility on all the risks involved while ensuring private capital is not just available but increased as well.
