Electric company cars are becoming increasingly attractive to would-be employees in the move to attract top talent.  

The report finds that 68% of potential EV drivers in the UK say that offering electric cars would make a future employer more attractive to them

New research from EVBox for its 2022 Mobility Monitor finds that more Brits expect companies to offer electric cars as part of their business car plans – this expectation has risen largely amongst the general population (from 27% to 62%), potential (from 40% to 75%) and current EV drivers (from 65% to 83%), when compared with 2020 report findings.  

Furthermore, nearly seven out of ten (68%) potential EV drivers in the UK say that offering electric cars would make a future employer more attractive to them. This has increased from 52% in the 2020 EVBox Mobility Monitor report. And within the general population there’s been a particularly high increase of this perception (33% to 51%).  

EVBox’s market research report on EV adoption, conducted alongside Ipsos, also finds that EV drivers expect their employers to fully cover charging costs at the workplace (74%), as well as their homes (59%).   

But although workplace charging is desired by many respondents, 65% of current EV drivers report that there are not enough charging ports available to them at their place of work. Most EV drivers currently charge their car at home (65%), compared to 40% at their workplace.   

Fast charging is also seen as a key factor in the adoption of electric cars and demand is increasing – 51% of the general population and 75% of potential EV drivers would switch to electric driving (sooner) if there were more (ultra) fast charging possibilities along the road. However, 43% of EV drivers do not believe that the charging infrastructure in the UK is well-established.  

In regard to where fast charging is most used, the results show that motorway services and petrol stations (58%) and supermarkets (58%) are the most prominent locations. UK EV drivers also have a preference for more fast chargers at public and commercial car parks.   

The research also found EV drivers value clear indications of charging fees and user-friendliness on ultra-fast chargers. For example, 48% rank a clear indication on charging fees as the most important feature, followed by user-friendliness (40%), the possibility to spot an available station from a distance such as guiding LED lights (35%) and the convenience of EMV payment technology (31%).   

These are some of the findings from this year’s edition of the EVBox Mobility Monitor, which is supported by responses from over 4,000 European citizens across four countries: the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK.   

Jonathan Goose, regional director UK & Ireland at EVBox, said: “Workplaces should now open their eyes to the benefits of offering electric cars to employees and the UK government should see the importance of tax benefits to assist businesses in providing charging options. In addition, charging port operators, petrol station owners, and other businesses are now expected to embrace the responsibility of installing more fast charging stations to help speed up the switch to EV driving.   

“At EVBox we are always learning and developing to meet the requirements respondents highlight. This is why we’re constantly working on improving our (fast) charging solutions – making a modular design absolutely necessary – ensuring infrastructure can grow with our customers’ business.” 

To access the EVBox report, click here.