Significant work is needed to address consumers’ concerns about switching to EVs and ensure that user-friendly infrastructure is in place to support them when they do, according to Which?

The Which? report says the rollout of public charging infrastructure is not happening quickly enough, and provision varies significantly across the UK

Its new Electric Vehicle Charging Report reveals that the rollout of public charging infrastructure is not happening quickly enough, and provision varies significantly across the UK.a

Those who are unable to charge from home due to a lack of off-street parking face having to pay higher prices on the public network, and some aspects of the public charge point network simply aren’t working well for consumers.

Issues include a failure to meet disabled drivers’ needs, limited interoperability between multiple payment systems, and poor charge point reliability. Meanwhile if something goes wrong there isn’t a clear redress system in place.

While this isn’t so much of a problem at the moment – only 13% of electric and plug-in hybrid car charging currently happens via public chargers, according to Which? – this is set to change.

As we approach the 2030 ICE ban and drivers switch to electric, the number of people who will be completely reliant on public charging will rise starkly.

In fact, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) estimates there will be eight million drivers across the UK who do not have the ability to charge an EV from home.

The new Which? paper sets out a number of actions that are needed to create a UK-wide public charging network that is fit for purpose, now and in the future. These include:

• Strategies from the devolved administrations and UK government to set out a plan to expand on-street charging options and the en-route charging network. It also says the responsibilities of local authorities need to be clarified, supported by comprehensive guidance and support, and also calls for funding to be targeted at areas where the market is not delivering.
• In addition, networks should be open to all car users, and all car models should be able to access compatible public chargers. And the UK and devolved governments should monitor the availability of both main types of DC charging plugs (Combined Charging System, or CCS, and CHAdeMO) in the public network and ensure that, if the car industry moves to CCS as a single plug standard, this doesn’t unreasonably constrain CHAdeMO owners’ ability to charge.
• Furthermore, the UK government should move forward with plans to mandate accessibility standards for public charge points. The UK and devolved governments should also set a minimum target for accessible charge point provision as a proportion of all public charge points across the UK, and provide guidance on how these should be distributed.
• Moreover, payment should be simple, with bank card payment offered wherever possible, and roaming should allow access to the entire network via one app or RFID card, using a single account. Pricing should be fair, so that those who can’t charge from home aren’t unfairly disadvantaged, as well as easy to understand and comparable across all networks.
• Amongst other measures, it calls for the UK government, devolved governments and local authorities to work with industry to develop and support possible solutions to enable people without off-street parking to charge at a comparable rate to home charging, either by having access to readily available, low-cost public charging or by being able to use their home energy supply. In the shorter-term, governments should provide clarity on any regulations relating to charging from home so that drivers can understand what is permissible.
• And it also calls for the UK government to move forward with proposals to mandate a standard metric for charging costs, which should be given in pence per kilowatt hour (kWh).

A similar call for fairer and universal charging has also been made this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

As part of its new seven-point plan to help secure the EV infrastructure required for both consumers and for the UK’s zero-emission future, it’s urged for an electric vehicle charge point mandate to be implemented to ensure the network ‘levels up’. It’s also proposed that a new regulator, dubbed Ofcharge, would monitor the market, including charging price levels and affordability; ensuring every part of the country has accessible, available and affordable charging.

The new Which? report has been greeted by Tanya Sinclair, policy director – UK & Ireland at ChargePoint, who agreed it was necessary to get EV infrastructure in place to remove key logistical barriers to consumer adoption.

She added: “However, it is important that this is done in the right way – it’s not just about needing a large concentration of charging stations but the speed, location, ease of use and incentives need to be carefully considered.

“In the report, Which? reveals that only 13% of EV and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) charging happens via the public charging network; indicating just how much more support needs to be offered, specifically at a government level. Governments and councils should be actively enabling and facilitating EV charging infrastructure. The DfT must come through on its commitment to standardise the driver’s experience of charging by mandating roaming and enforcing minimum uptime for charging stations, which we hope to see in the much overdue EV Infrastructure Strategy.”