Lack of public EV chargers stymies adoption, according to new report

A slow rollout of public EV charging stations is directly linked to dropping demand for electric vehicles themselves, according to a new study by Juniper Research. 

The car industry has recently warned that demand for electric vehicles has significantly slowed in the UK in recent months, with many blaming the cost of living crisis, as well as the removal of grants. However, one other factor that appears to be on the minds of some motorists is the slow rollout of EV charging infrastructure. 

A new study from Juniper Research has found that lack of public infrastructure is severely limiting EV adoption in urban environments. This is because many would-be buyers in cities live in apartments which lack dedicated EV chargers, and thus need to seek public chargepoints. 

Despite the reality that the number of EV chargers has grown exponentially across the UK, this hasn’t been communicated well, nor has the spread been evenly distributed. In fact, a study earlier this year identified that while the City of Westminster in London had 1,832 public EV chargers, Manchester had just 158. 

The report from Juniper Research identified improving shared data on charging point distribution, as well as agreeing partnerships to accelerate roll-outs in key areas as vital to redressing the gap.

The study also found that present initiatives from governments are not sufficient to accelerate EV adoption, with new innovation and business models within EV charging needed.

Nick Maynard, a co-author on the research, explained, “It is clear that regulator initiatives, such as requiring charging points to be added to new buildings, are insufficient by themselves to roll out charging infrastructure on a wide enough scale to drive environmental benefits. EV charging networks must work together with both city authorities and each other to identify how best to plug gaps in charging infrastructure, or EV adoption will continue to be limited.”