‘Ugly’ EV charge point gets a makeover

SEAT has teamed up with children to help redesign and add colour to electric vehicle (EV) charge points after research concludes a third of UK motorists believe they are ugly.

The design, which is a mosaic of drawings created by children, is intended to inspire the next generation of EV advocates as well as increase acceptance of electric vehicle infrastructure.

The design has been installed on to a charging point in Milton Keynes, with a planned roll-out across SEAT and CUPRA’s UK retailer network as additional electric vehicles are added to their line-ups, including the SEAT Mii electric, New Leon PHEV, as well as the CUPRA Formentor and el-Born.

Fewer than half (49%) of UK motorists would want a public electric vehicle charging point installed on their road, according to the survey results, however this increases if they were made more attractive, according to a survey conducted for the car firm.

A third of motorists (27%) think EV chargers are an eyesore, so SEAT encouraged children to submit designs inspired by what they thought electric cars could look like in the future and the positive effect on the environment they will have.

Londoners and drivers from the North East are most likely to consider public charge points to be an eyesore and are more apprehensive about having them installed on their street, representing 35% and 34% of motorists in those areas respectively. The research suggests drivers from the East Midlands are less sceptical as only 21% of drivers believe charge points are ugly.

There was a stark difference between age groups as 60% of 25-34-year-old motorists would want a charger on their road compared to just 37% of over 55s. Asked if they would welcome a charger on their road if they were made to look more attractive, the figure for both age groups increases by around 10%.

‘The design is truly inspirational as we know the next generation are more focused on sustainability issues than ever before. We hope that this means that more people will look to electric vehicles in the future and will support the continued growth of EV infrastructure,’ said SEAT UK’s managing director, Richard Harrison.

 ‘The roll-out of the SEAT and CUPRA electric vehicle line-up demonstrates our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint here in the UK and globally.’

The mosaic is made up of ten individual designs, with sketches selected from far and wide and covering age groups of three to thirteen years’ old.

Among the selected designs are a vibrant planet of trees and electric cars, designed by Isla (10), a picture of a charging plug surrounded by animals drawn by Max (8), and an electrifying SEAT-branded charging point by Jude (5). The mosaic also included designs sent in from Charlotte (13), Freddie (10), James (5), Laszlo (6), Matilda (7), Matilda (8), and Rory (3).

Photo Credit – Supplied