With more fast chargers, 66% would switch to EVs sooner
One third of European citizens still think that charging is too time consuming, and nearly half worry about availability of charging stations when they’re on the road— two perceptions that are both in the top three main obstacles to switch to driving electric.
Those are some of the findings of the EVBox Mobility Monitor, the annual market research report on electric vehicle adoption and barriers conducted alongside Ipsos by EVBox. The research is supported by responses from 3,600 European citizens across the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Norway and the UK.
Interestingly, the research suggests that people that are already driving an EV have more confidence in charging point availability compared to non-EV drivers: 49% of EV drivers vs. 25% of non-EV drivers believe they will have no trouble finding somewhere to plug in. Among EV drivers in Germany, that number rises to 60%, followed by the British at 55% and the Dutch at 52%.
As of 2020, Europe has almost 250,000 charging points, a number that has quadrupled since 2015. However, the EVBox Mobility Monitor suggests more investment in charging points is needed.
4 in 10 willing to pay more for fast charging
Many EV drivers (64%) are familiar with the differences between regular, fast and ultra fast charging. As a reminder:
- Home charging: 1 hour of charge can add an additional range of up to 60km
- Fast charging: 30 minutes of charging can add up to 250km of range
- Ultra fast charging: 15 minutes of charging can add up to 400km of range
Of all current and potential EV drivers, 43% confirmed they would be willing to pay more for fast charging versus 24% who are not willing to pay more for this.
EV drivers charge at home
The majority of charging sessions happen at home (73%) or at the workplace (40%). Only 21% of EV drivers use a fast charger more than 5 times a month.Most EV drivers fast charge at service stops and petrol stations along highways (55%), retail locations (48%) and at public parking locations in cities (47%).
“Our research shows that EV drivers want to see more fast charging stations at commercial properties, petrol stations, and urban areas. Therefore, EU policies should encourage the installation of stations at such locations over the next decade to keep pace with the growing eMobility market. However, grid capacity and associated upgrade costs will become pressing issues, so regulations across Europe will need to be aligned to ensure that public fast charging stations are installed both efficiently and intelligently,” said Kristof Vereenooghe, CEO of EVBox Group.
Find out how you can make fleet electrification work in the next session of the International Fleet Managers Institute (IFMI) on 3 December 2020. Register now!
