New report calls for ‘reboot’ of public EV charging

Commissioned by energy infrastructure company SMS plc, Powering up public EV charging takes an in-depth look at the state of public EV infrastructure across the UK, through the prism of those that rely on it today. Although 94 per cent of EV drivers said they love their electric vehicle, around two-thirds (67 per cent) said they wish they were better informed about public EV charging before they made the switch to electric.

The report also found that nearly all EV drivers rely on public charging to some degree, with just five per cent charging exclusively at home. By contrast, four times that number (20 per cent) are completely reliant on public infrastructure, having no EV charge point at home or at work. A significant majority (70 per cent) said they have limited public charging options in their area, with 81 per cent acknowledging they often had to wait to gain access to a charge point. According to SMS, the problems are exacerbated by the wrong types of chargers being in certain locations, as well as chargers often being out of service.