‘Unreliable’ charge points putting people off buying electric vehicles

[SAC1]

Tyre Press news article

‘Unreliable’ charge points putting people off buying electric vehicles
Tuesday 7th November 2017


At the beginning of 2017, it became government policy that all petrol and diesel cars must be off the road by 2040 causing quite a media stir. Click4Reg.co.uk investigated the impact of this bill on the popularity of electric cars, and sought to identify if electric charge points are growing at the same rate across the UK.

Click4Reg.co.uk analysed data sourced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and found that annual new electric car registrations in the UK have grown significantly over the last few years.

In 2017 alone, there 94,093 electric vehicles were registered, up from 69,933 registered last year – a 34.54 per cent increase. This year, March saw the highest number of electric vehicles registered (22,816), and September was second highest, with 22,619 purchases.

The rise in the number of electric vehicles bought could be down to the government’s Plug-in Car Grant, which began in January 2011, to help people save as much as £4,500 on a selection of electric cars to reduce the number of petrol and diesel cars on the road. Since its launch, the number of new cars registered through the scheme reached 116,649 in September 2017, a contrast to just 910 in 2011.

Despite the rise in electric vehicles on the roads, Click4Reg has found that whilst the number of charge points are increasing, the number is insufficient – demand is soaring, but reliability and a range of charge points is grinding to a halt.

As of June 2017, there were 12,849 electric vehicle charging connectors on 6,913 devices in 4,476 locations across the UK – an increase from 2011, when 1,537 charging points were available.

Research by Click4Reg has found that of all charge points situated around the UK, 22 per cent (2,984) were situated in Greater London. Scotland had the second highest number of charge points at 2,015 (14.8 per cent), followed by the South East with an estimated 1,753 charge points for electric cars. With 2,555 less than London, Wales had the least amount of charge points available (429).

According to the RAC Foundation, the UK charge point network is “not attractive to use”. Since June 2017, a staggering 13 per cent of charging points did not work, which equates to around 900 fewer charge points available to electric vehicle users.

Consequently, 80 per cent of owners have access to home charging points according to Zap-Map. With a government grant, home-charging points cost about £300 to install, while several manufacturers provide them as part of the sales package.

This is a great incentive. However, people do not always have access to off street parking. In outer London, 35 per cent of households have no off-street parking available to charge an EV, and inside London, the number almost doubles to 63 per cent.

In a survey, Click4Reg asked electric vehicle owners questions ranging from how happy they were with their electric vehicle, to how impressed they were with the supply and demand of public charge points.

The results include:

91 per cent were happy with their electric vehicle and wouldn’t consider going back to an ICE vehicle
96 per cent of electric vehicle owners were dissatisfied with public charge points
88 per cent said the public charge points are too unreliable (e.g. either broken, have cars using them as parking spaces etc.)
74 per cent of participants said the presence of EV charging facilities was a key factor when deciding where to park
82 per cent believe that the government is failing to keep up with the demand for electric vehicle charge points in the UK
77 per cent of respondents are put off by purchasing an electric vehicle due to the unreliability of charge points in the UK.
Recently Shell announced it will be opening its world-first electric car charge points in the UK. Three Shell “Recharge” points have been installed in London, Surrey and Derby and the points will be able to charge 80 per cent of a vehicle’s battery in 30 minutes. Shell aims to install another 7 charge points in London and Reading later this year.

In addition to this, Gov.uk last week published an Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill which reveals that motorway services and large petrol retailers will be required to install charge points for electric cars, under plans announced in the House of Commons by transport minister John Hayes, to keep up with demand.

[Col Lamb]

Great post.

Therein lies the rub, an apparent uncoordinated approach and a system that lacks a single standard.

The future may be bright foe EVs but at the moment its decidely foggy?

[Wing Commander]

Thanks for sharing, SAC1. Definitely work to be done...

I wonder if the £4,500 grant might apply to the Mission E...?!

[MCDK]

The only reason that EVs are selling well is the low BIK for company users. It really is a no brainer. However if that incentive goes things will change and because of the low tax rates this is why they say they would not go back to ICE. I know a few EV drivers and their only focus is telling me how much a bargain their car is as regards their company car tax.

For a private buyer they are still too much hassle needing charged every 15 or 20 miles.

[Wing Commander]

For a private buyer they are still too much hassle needing charged every 15 or 20 miles.

Every 15-20 miles...?!

[Col Lamb]

As an ex company car driver for twenty years I regularly drove 4-500 miles a day.

EVs at that useage presently are not practical.

Forget Tesla, the cost of the, throws them out of a fleet buyers radar.

There is no EV that comes close that I am aware of.

Same thing with hybrids, limited company buying and then only for low mileage staff.

[Kasfranks99]

Thanks for posting and an interesting read. As much as I knew there were problems I never knew they were that bad and unhappy

3 years time things should improve when all the manufacturers are out in force

[wilko]

All my company car users are moving over to hybrids, purely for the bik savings.
Mostly 350e Mercs, or bm330e.
Both no brainers for both company and employees. Low bik, low ni for the company, low lease costs, and roughly diesel mpg when not plugged in on long journeys, and commutes to and from the office on electric charge, plus way faster than the equivalent diesel.
No full electric makes any sense for a business user, even a Tesla, as the bik is still huge as list price is so high.
The hybrids with a 30mile or so range allow for commuting, or most of it on electricity, and charging at work carries no bik.
But long cross continental journeys are still possible and economy is as good as a diesel because of regen.

[LLL]

Luke to the rescue!

This can easily be summarized in three points:

1. Today, and until 2020 Tesla will be the ONLY alternative to replace an ICE from a convenience perspective. Charging network works incredible well and no hazels with payments and such. Just plug in and leave the car and the uptime is close to 100%. Expensive cars and has it downsides - this we can agree on. So this is clearly not for the masses nor for everyone. At least not until Model 3 is out there if they sort the "production hell" ramp up.

2. Existing charge points in all countries are a real mess. Mix of RFID-badges, subscriptions, apps that doesn't work, charge posts that doesn't work, etc etc. They're clearly in the early stages, people working in the support are not educated about how things work, etc etc. Home charging is the only reliable option and that doesn't do it for longer commutes.

3. Ionity and E.ON will deploy 350kW charging networks cross Europe. It will be a stronger network than even Tesla.

E.ON will build 10.000 350kW capable chargers in Europe (CCS Standard):
https://electrek.co/2017/11/06/ultra-fa ... g-network/

Ionity (VW group, BMW, Daimler, Ford) Will deploy 400 charging STATIONS, with on average about 6 stalls each station across Europe before 2020
https://electrek.co/2017/11/03/ultra-fa ... olkswagen/

So it's really simple. Wait until 2020 if you think Tesla is an overpriced shitbox from America, because about year 2020 EU will have a reliable and convenient real Fastchareging network available and at the same time the Germans happen to release their EV programs from vaporware into drivable cars that customers actually can buy (thumbs up icon inserter here )

[Col Lamb]

Luke to the rescue!

This can easily be summarized in three points:

1. Today, and until 2020 Tesla will be the ONLY alternative to replace an ICE from a convenience perspective. Charging network works incredible well and no hazels with payments and such. Just plug in and leave the car and the uptime is close to 100%. Expensive cars and has it downsides - this we can agree on. So this is clearly not for the masses nor for everyone. At least not until Model 3 is out there if they sort the "production hell" ramp up.

2. Existing charge points in all countries are a real mess. Mix of RFID-badges, subscriptions, apps that doesn't work, charge posts that doesn't work, etc etc. They're clearly in the early stages, people working in the support are not educated about how things work, etc etc. Home charging is the only reliable option and that doesn't do it for longer commutes.

3. Ionity and E.ON will deploy 350kW charging networks cross Europe. It will be a stronger network than even Tesla.

E.ON will build 10.000 350kW capable chargers in Europe (CCS Standard):
https://electrek.co/2017/11/06/ultra-fa ... g-network/

Ionity (VW group, BMW, Daimler, Ford) Will deploy 400 charging STATIONS, with on average about 6 stalls each station across Europe before 2020
https://electrek.co/2017/11/03/ultra-fa ... olkswagen/

So it's really simple. Wait until 2020 if you think Tesla is an overpriced shitbox from America, because about year 2020 EU will have a reliable and convenient real Fastchareging network available and at the same time the Germans happen to release their EV programs from vaporware into drivable cars that customers actually can buy (thumbs up icon inserter here )

Its the cost of the Teslas that is the problem Luke.

In the UK we have to pay tax on the value of a Company car hence Tesla will not be considered by manyif any Companies.

Our tax is not just on value its on other factors as well.

Its why many of us choose to opt out of Company cars and finance our own with an enhanced payment with our salary.p from our employers.