Despite the rapid growth in investment in EV charging infrastructure in the UK, two in five (40%) of fleets are still not using any public charging facilities, according to a recent survey produced for Paua by 360 Media Group,
Why are so many fleets not using public chargers?
Cost is a major factor. Our research suggests EV drivers pay 50% more charging in public than at home – a huge increase for fleets to absorb.
Accessibility and billing are other key concerns. 85% of fleet drivers said they would start using public charging if there were a single solution – like the same platform or app – that would enable them to access different charging points.
But some companies are already offering this
Fuel card company Paua enables drivers to plan and pay for charging with a mobile app or RFID card across 3,000+ charging points. In 2020, Zap-Map also launched an app that enables drivers to pay for their charging across multiple networks, negating the need to use different apps and cards.
However, the sector is still lagging when it comes to contactless payments
In 2019, the Government advised charging providers to integrate their contactless payments to improve accessibility.
But, in 2021, despite the rise in contactless payments across other sectors of the company during the pandemic, it is still not possible to use contactless payments at many UK charge points.
Public charging infrastructure still not up to scratch
The survey also revealed that more than half (54%) of drivers who were considering electric vehicles said the lack of public charging infrastructure has prevented them from adopting the technology.
The UK has been ranked fourth in the world by EY’s EV Country Readiness Index. Unless growth in public infrastructure accelerates, the country will face a shortfall of almost a quarter of a million EV charge points by 2032.
