Nick Williams, transport managing director at Lloyds Banking Group, outlines how funding and legislation must improve to create the infrastructure needed to meet increasing demand for electric vehicles.

Nick Williams, transport managing director at Lloyds Banking Group

June this year saw a record number of EVs enter the UK car parc, with a monthly total of 31,700 fully electric vehicles registered – some 39% more than June 2022.

The figures serve as a reminder that the move to electric shows no signs of slowing, especially with fleet and business cars representing two-thirds of all EV registrations at the start of this year, and the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars approaching fast.

The ban is already having an impact on the number of EVs on our roads, with many businesses introducing carbon reduction roadmaps, including deadlines for the transition to fully electric fleets.

The Government’s current fiscal benefits to encourage EV adoption have also helped to drive business interest in EVs to an all-time high, while employees, encouraged by the new models coming to the market with improved range and technology, expect to see EV company car options that demonstrate an environmentally conscious employer. 

For many, though, concerns still remain – not least about the practicalities of owning one.

The need for speed

Despite the increasing numbers of EVs on the roads, we continue to see the spread of chargers in rural areas moving at a slower pace, as well as difficulties for those without off-street parking to charge at home.

This, and the varying speed and practicality of chargers, can result in queues at service stations, delayed journeys and frustration – dissuading those who are on the fence about making the switch.

We’re seeing great strides made across major cities to keep up with the rapid rate of EV adoption, but there are still areas in the UK that have less than a single charging point per 100 cars, including Birmingham, Exeter and Peterborough, despite the latter having the second-highest number of electric vehicles outside of London.

So, greater availability will rely on spreading charge points more evenly across all our towns and city centres, as well as making sure charge points are available in rural areas too, to encourage a fairer transition to EVs.

Tackling the spread of the charge points is one thing, but more also needs to be done to make sure they are working, and fast charging, for all EV owners to reliably and confidently use their cars.

On the right track

As part of a suite of announcements on its recent ‘Green Day’, it was encouraging to see the Government make a £381m investment into the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund for local authorities.

On top of this was the notice for a two-month consultation period for its planned Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) mandate, which has a proposed minimum ZEV target trajectory of 22% of manufacturers’ new car sales to be electric each year from 2024, rising year on year to 80% in 2030 and 100% by 2035 – the phase-out date for all carbon-emitting vehicles. The consultation period for the ZEV mandate ended in May, and the Government will publish a summary of responses, including next steps, this summer. We hope to see a UK-wide regulatory framework, with annual targets including support for rural areas and a focus on charging infrastructure rollout, to drive confidence in the used electric market, as well as encouraging the supply of new EVs.

If successful, the mandate will also incentivise manufacturers to focus more on EV technologies, making EVs more affordable and accessible for years to come, and in turn generating further funding to boost the installations of charge points.

Although these are bold steps towards net zero, the announcements leave many elements unconfirmed and subject to change, and giving manufacturers just nine months to comply with initial targets.

Shifting gears

For us to see real momentum behind the Government’s effort, it must shift gear and make effective use of its resources, providing timely clarity on policy details for manufacturers, so that they can make the necessary steps to meet the deadlines.

It also is crucial that the allocation of funding and plans for improvements are clear and strategic, both in terms of availability and reliability, to quickly improve the UK’s charging network and give businesses and drivers the confidence to continue the electrification journey.

If we’re to create real confidence in the decision to switch to electric, we need to make sure we have a charging infrastructure that can handle the rise in demand and the Government must put its weight behind improving the accessibility of charging points across the country.