Infrastructure Scarcity in the EV Market: The UK’s Countdown to 2030

Written By Guest User

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end in the UK by 2030.

With transport currently accounting for up to 30% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions [1], accelerated production and consumption of electric vehicles (EVs) is an integral part of the UK Government’s objectives to promote green technologies.

Establishing a robust EV supply chain to support increased demand is critical, with the availability of charging infrastructure crucial to motivating consumers to make the switch to electric. Without this, it seems unlikely that we can achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Since announcing its Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution in November 2020, the UK Government has provided subsidies aimed at increasing demand for EVs. This coincides with levies for consumers who purchase and manufacturers who sell petrol and diesel vehicles.

While financial incentives are beyond the scope of this article, it’s worth noting that EV grants were cut in March 2021, and for a second time in December 2021 to half their initial value.

As subsidies continue to wane, the UK Government must work collaboratively with the EV supply chain to resolve scarcity – especially the provision of EV infrastructure that remains limited, particularly outside of London.

Let’s discuss the supply (or lack of supply) of public EV charging points across the UK.

Lagging and Unequal EV Infrastructure

Poor availability of a nationwide, publicly accessible, and affordable charging infrastructure in the UK is a major barrier to the accelerated market penetration of EVs. Without making charging points more widely accessible to the average consumer, the countdown to 2030 will be characterised by slow progress to net zero.

The sale of EVs continues to outpace the provision of public charging across the UK. EV sales almost doubled in 2021, accounting for 11.6% of all vehicle sales that year. However, the number of public charging devices has only increased by 37% since the beginning of 2021.

Just one public charging device was added for every 24 EVs registered last year. EV consumers cannot exclusively depend on privately owned, driveway charging. After all, not all households have a driveway and cars are designed for travel away from home!

In January 2022, there were 28,375 public EV charging devices in the UK; only 5,156 of those were rapid chargers [2].

In August 2020, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) estimated that up to 430,000 public charging devices were required to meet up to 6.7 million cumulative EVs on UK roads by 2030 [3]. Clearly, an accelerated rollout is required to close a growing gap.

Public charging devices are most concentrated in London. This is predominantly driven by the higher demand for EVs in the capital relative to other regions. Larger EV charging facilities are popping up at an increasing pace, including Shell’s ultra-rapid 175kw charging hub in Fulham. Gatwick’s Electric Forecourt will become the world’s first airport EV charging station later this year. Ubitricity is the UK’s current market leader, operating 28.7% of our economy’s charging points – many of which are concentrated in London as lamp post chargers [4].

Source: Electric vehicle charging device statistics: January 2022 – Department for Transport*

While the high concentration of public EV charging devices in London is hardly surprising, growing imbalances across the UK are concerning. Over 32% of available devices are in London, with a further 20% distributed across the South East and South West combined.

Wales, the North East and Northern Ireland have just 3.7%, 3.1% and 1.2% of the UK’s public charging points respectively [4].

A ‘North-South Divide’ in EV infrastructure has emerged. Although this can largely be explained by disproportionate demand for zero emission vehicles in London, a more balanced per capita distribution of public charging points is required to prevent regional bottlenecks once the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles is prohibited in 2030.

Closing the EV Infrastructure Gap

To help remedy EV infrastructure shortcomings, the automotive industry has proposed a charging mandate governed by an independent regulator.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) identify a seven-point plan to help accelerate affordable and accessible public charging devices based on consumer needs [5]. These needs are straightforward: all consumers should have access to affordable EV charging.

Electric vehicles are not simply a luxury – they are becoming a necessity, and consumers are increasingly paying the price for driving polluting vehicles. Who is going to buy a zero emission car if they cannot charge it publicly?

SMMT’s proposed ‘nationally coordinated and locally delivered infrastructure plan’ seeks to provide certainty in an underperforming market (link here).

By introducing binding targets across all regions, the proposed mandate seeks to regulate and remedy growing market deficiencies. Greater collaboration between consumers, operators and local authorities seeks to ensure no regions are ‘forgotten’, especially in areas where construction is delayed by permitting challenges and limited local authority funding.

Greater cohesion among the public and private sectors is undoubtedly required. Today’s ‘market-led’ rollout is failing to keep pace with the demand for zero emission vehicles – even in London.

National and local coordination will help to streamline the transition to 2030 and beyond.

Guest User
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