March 23rd 2021
Misinformation is preventing consumer EV uptake
The perceived high cost of electric vehicle (EV) charging is a key barrier to EV uptake, according to research conducted by energyhelpline.com.
According to the survey, almost two-thirds of consumers believe that EVs cost up to £50 to fully charge at home, this is despite analysis showing that they cost between just £6 and £17 to fully charge.
The survey also revealed that many consumers are concerned about mileage and are worried that their EV won’t get them from A to Z without running out of charge.
38% of consumers cited the distance per charge and almost half (44%) cited the lack of charging points across the nation as the biggest barriers to purchasing a fully electric car.
However, energyhelpline.com has found that some EVs can offer an estimated 270 miles per charge — this is more than enough to travel from Sheffield to Edinburgh — and all for a total cost of £12.32 in electricity.
Tom Lyon, director of energy at energyhelpline.com, said: ‘Electric-only vehicles have come a long way over the last ten years, but our research reveals that there’s a clear disparity between perception and reality, with BEV cars costing as little as four pence a mile to run using electricity charged at home.
‘To help the UK meet its carbon reduction targets, it’s vital to do even more to boost uptake in the technology. Energy suppliers have a clear role to play in helping motorists make the move to electric vehicles. By offering special tariffs and providing access to competitively priced on-street charging, suppliers can help dispel misconceptions around electric cars to actively encourage uptake.
‘Not only is charging far more cost effective than filling up at the petrol station, switching tariffs will help cut charging costs. Suppliers such as Bulb and OVO offer EV plans aimed at electric car owners, providing benefits such as free access to public charging and lower at home rates for overnight charging, and we’d encourage more suppliers to do the same.’
Photo Credit – Pixabay
The statement “some EVs can offer an estimated 270 miles per charge – this is more than enough to travel from Sheffield to Edinburgh” ignores driver behavior. Sheffield to Edinburgh is 251 miles on my atlas, using main roads. Would most drivers of gasoline or diesel cars want to arrive at their destinations with less than 20 miles (essentially fumes) left in the tank? I personally do not ever plan to arrive anywhere with a tank filled to less than 25% capacity, thus allowing for unexpected traffic or other happenings. For my hybrid, the 25% reserve rule means I allow a maximum of 450 miles/tank. For an EV with a 270-mile range, this means planning a trip with no more than 200 (202) miles between charging stations. Driving Sheffield to Edinburgh means being absolutely sure there is at least one place to charge along the route and being prepared to sit for 45+ minutes.
What is the carbon intensity of the grid? How did that compare to renewable liquid fuels?
I am an owner of an electric car and they are difficult and expensive to charge. They are fine if you drive to point A and then back again within the range and charge at home,great. However the charging network is appalling and complicated. I recently charged at a Hotel on a fast charger and I was an hour and half trying to get the machine to work before giving up. When I tried another charger it worked after a while but when I got back it would not allow me to disconnect,crazy. I then used a Motorway services and the cost of the charge which was on an Ionity charger was £26.00 for a 110 miles of range. Way more expensive than petrol or diesel. On top of this as the electric car is not a Ford or VW ( Ionity chargers are backed by Ford & VW so via a subscription you get cheaper charging) I also had to pay a £40.00 deposit. This meant a total charge of £66.00 for 100 miles of range! Yes the charging was fast and yes the Ionity chargers are easier to use than others but they are extremely expensive at £ 0.69 pence per Kilowatt. That’s nearly 4 x as expensive as charging at home. These companies are massively profiteering and this must be regulated so the price you pay is between perhaps 20 to 25 pence per kilowatt hour.