In order to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles, the charging infrastructure may need to improve, or consumers will need better education, according to a recent study.
Despite many in the UK living within spitting distance to a fast EV charger, or having the available infrastructure to install a charger at home, consumers are still wary about buying an electric vehicle. In fact, a recent study suggested as many as 36% of Brits wouldn’t consider purchasing an EV due to the lack of charging points.
If we stop to consider just public charging points, it’s clear to see that this apprehension could be a result of a simple misconception. That’s because there are in fact more public EV charging points in the UK than there are petrol stations.
Other issues that drivers have regarding the switch to electric should be easier to fix, such as the range issue, which shouldn’t be an issue for the majority of consumers who don’t travel more than 15 miles from their home on an average day, or the 10% of Brits who have admitted to being scared of charging an EV.
There’s no denying that the industry needs to do better to educate consumers of the benefits of EVs and to calm them on their fears. The switch to electric is not as scary as many may think, and while we could delay the transition, the environmental impact of that would be catastrophic.
Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, summed it up pretty well, noting, “The adoption of EVs is accelerating fast, with more than 215,000 pure-electric vehicles and 455,000 plug-in hybrids now registered on UK roads. However, education is critical to maintaining this momentum, driving further uptake and supporting the transition away from dated fuel types.
“While driving, maintaining and charging an EV is really simple, we need the UK public to feel confident that the charging infrastructure is sufficient. Unfortunately, there is still a misconception that EVs have a short range and public charging points are few and far between.
“This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the average range of a modern EV is 211 miles and there are now more publicly-accessible charging points than petrol stations! With most drivers commuting far less than their full EV range every day, topping up charge at home or at work is a simple task.”
Oli Bennett, EV advocate and driver in the XITE ENERGY RACING powered by myenergi Extreme E team, added, “When buying a petrol or diesel car, most drivers don’t check their fuel tank size or worry too much about running out of petrol. As a driver in the world’s most extreme electric racing series, I want people to understand just how practical, capable and efficient electric vehicles can be.
“The research conducted by myenergi makes for concerning reading. EV charging is so much easier, cheaper and faster than you may believe. Range anxiety certainly sits in the past when it comes to EVs thanks to the continuous expansion of chargers like the myenergi zappi. Don’t let misinformation prevent you from joining the electric revolution.”