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EV & Sustainability

Public charging costs preventing EV transition, warns EVA England

One EV driver said: "With the exception of public charging costs, EVs are great to drive."

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The cost of public charging is the biggest barrier to the electric vehicle (EV) transition, according to a survey of 1,668 drivers by EVA England.

87% of EV drivers with a driveway found it much cheaper to run than an internal combustion (ICE) car, while only 50% of those without a driveway agreed.

EVA England said that home charging can cost as little as 8p per kWh, while public charging costs 48p per kWh on average, but can cost up to 98p in some cases.

VAT on public charging is also 20%, compared to 5% for domestic electricity.

59% of respondents to the survey said that misinformation is playing a role in holding people back from considering an EV.

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Among ICE drivers, 66% said that they are considering switching to an EV, but 60% of those with no off-street parking said they would never consider an EV.

One EV driver said: “With the exception of public charging costs, EVs are great to drive.

“But they still need to vastly improve the infrastructure and drastically reduce cost of public charging, which, currently, is obscene.”

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Another said: “An EV makes no financial sense for people who don’t have access to home charging.”

95% of current EV drivers said they would recommend one to friends and family, while 69% felt that the public charging network has improved over the last year.

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Two-thirds (66%) of hybrid drivers said that their next car would be an EV.

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25% of urban EV drivers said that they do not own a home charger, compared to 8% of suburban and 5% of rural EV drivers.

EVA England said that cross-pavement charging channels, a solution for charging without a driveway, often face complex approval processes, taking more than a year and costing around £3,000.

It also said that many councils do not currently allow for the installation of these channels.

Vicky Edmonds, chief executive at EVA England, said: “Drivers are clearly loving their EVs, but these results highlight a growing inequality that can’t be ignored.

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“Those who can charge at home are saving money and driving the change, while those who can’t are facing higher costs and fewer options.

“The ‘charging divide’ is now one of the biggest barriers to a fair transition.

“If this transition is to be truly fair, affordable and accessible, it must work for every driver, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.

“The driver’s voice needs to be at the centre of how we build the electric future.”

EVA England surveyed 1,279 EV drivers, 125 hybrid drivers and 201 ICE drivers.

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50% of EV drivers surveyed said that EVs are more expensive than ICE cars, although 50% of EV drivers acquired their car through some form of leasing.

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