By Denis Watling, managing director of ChargeGuru UK

Denis Watling, managing director of ChargeGuru UK

The electric vehicle industry is evolving at a rapid pace, with increasing demand from both fleet managers and consumers. Today, we’re seeing more drivers ready to make the switch and, according to the IEA, nearly 14 million new electric cars were registered globally in 2023, bringing the total number on the roads to 40 million.

In response to the ZEV mandates, this year 10% of vans and more than a fifth (22%) of cars sold by manufacturers will need to be electric. The targets for manufacturers will increase each year, requiring 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035. Vehicle makers that fail to achieve the ZEV mandate sales targets will be subject to fines. The transition is happening – there’s no denying it.

However, we are still seeing barriers to EV adoption limiting some communities’ ability to join the electric revolution. A significant obstacle deterring further adoption is the discrepancy in accessibility to charging for those with off-road parking and those without. With charge point operators (CPOs) needing to make a margin and higher VAT rates applying to public charging (20%) compared to the 5% VAT rate for private, at-home charging, the cost of charging significantly increases for individuals lacking a private driveway. Charging on the public network is 2-3 times more expensive than charging at home, or 8-10 times more costly when EV-specific domestic tariffs are utilised at home.

As an industry, we must do more to ensure equitable access to charging infrastructure across all communities, to ultimately tackle barriers to adoption and enable a simpler transition. One way we can work to accomplish this is through educating drivers, landlords and fleet managers on the innovative solutions and policies that are available to address these barriers and support those drivers in underserved areas.

Supporting those without a driveway

OZEV grants are available for people who live in a rented property or own a flat with dedicated off-street parking.

According to the latest census data, 21.7% of the UK live in apartments, flats or maisonettes. That’s 14,610,610 people. To date, drivers who live in flats or apartment blocks could feel hesitant to make the shift to EV, due to a necessary reliance they would have on public charging or shared charging spaces. Additional fees aside, the public charging infrastructure is consistently under scrutiny for a lack of availability, making the transition to owning an EV seem more challenging and less feasible to these drivers. However, many residents do not realise that there are in fact options available, which their landlords can help with. It’s important that we, as an industry, educate residents and help them engage with their property manager or landlord, as any installation will need their approval. There are also grants available to both residents and landlords, provided by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

OZEV grants provide up to £350 off the cost of purchasing and installing a domestic charging point and are available for people who live in a rented property or own a flat with dedicated off-street parking. Landlords or property managers can also claim up to an additional £500 per bay (for up to 60 bays per building) towards the cost of installing infrastructure for residents via the EV infrastructure grant for residential car parks. ChargeGuru, as an end-to-end charging solution provider, manages  all grant applications and the entire installation process, including the maintenance and assistance once the chargers are installed. Additionally, ChargeGuru also offers a fully funded apartment block charging solution at zero cost to landlords, making EV charging simpler for building owners & managers and more accessible to residents.

It’s crucial that landlords and property managers are aware of all the options available  to them when considering charging infrastructure for their residents, to enable a smoother transition to EVs and to level the playing field between those with private driveways and those without.

Equitable access for businesses and fleets

Support is available for employers via the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

Similarly, more and more businesses are encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles among their teams, or directly electrifying their fleets. Employers can play a pivotal role in levelling up the divide and supporting the ~40% of Brits without a driveway, through the installation of charging points at their workplace.

Support is available for employers via the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), which can reduce the cost of installation by up to £350 per charging socket. The scheme provides support towards the costs of the purchase, installation and infrastructure of up to 40 electric vehicle charge points at eligible places of work. These include businesses, charities, public sector organisations and small accommodation businesses. All charge points must be installed by an OZEV authorised installer, and the scheme is available in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

As more businesses look to improve their sustainability credentials and entice employees with incentives grounded in ESG, EV fleets and workplace charging facilities are of great value to corporates, as well as the broader UK transition to EVs.

Final words

It’s vital that charging is accessible, convenient and cost-effective for all to enable a true transition from ICE to EV to take place, whether that’s for business fleets or those living in homes without private driveways, and particularly residents living in apartment blocks.

We know that there is appetite and interest to make the switch, so the onus is on industry, businesses and their leaders to remove any hurdles. The Government has allocated funding to areas where it was previously lacking and organisations such as ChargeGuru are enabling easier access to such funding by simplifying the process and, in some cases, funding the balance of the costs.

By raising awareness of the solutions available, access to charging can become far more equitable for all communities; thus levelling up the EV transition and reducing the current divide when it comes to switching to electric.