Vauxhall partner with carwow to drive on-street charge point installation

Vauxhall’s Electric Streets Campaign aims to provide charging solutions to the 40% of households without off-street parking, helping them make the switch to electric.

They have been working with charge point operators and local councils to accelerate the installation of on-street residential charging right across the UK and a new partnership with online car marketplace carwow will give them access to data from which they will better understand where demand for EVs lies across the country.

Figures from carwow reveal that 15% of car enquiries so far this year have been for EVs, based on analysis of its database of over 320,000 car enquiries in 2023. With the Government’s mandate to stop the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the disparity between EV interest and charge point installation highlights the scale of growth required in the UK’s charging network to keep pace with EV sales.

Last month, more than 45,000 EVs were registered in the UK, representing a peak 17%5 of the new car market, while just 1,432 public EV charging devices were added to the ZapMap database.

Vauxhall point out that while the 100% EV elements of ZEV mandate has been pushed back five years, it will start influencing car production from next year, when 22% of all new cars sold by manufacturers must be electric.

Through Electric Streets of Britain, Vauxhall has established an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help improve Local Authority understanding of residential on-street charging needs, working with charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge.

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: ‘We know that over 70% of UK councils have no published strategy for residential on-street charging and want to help local authorities install charging infrastructure where it’s needed, so car buyers are not put off by a lack of available charging as the number of EVs on the road grows.

‘From 2035, Government mandate dictates that all new cars sold must be electric, and this data shows there is work to do to support consumers making the switch. Electric Streets is just part of a package of measures Vauxhall is introducing to improve accessibility, including everything from investing in EV manufacturing in the UK, at our Ellesmere Port facility, to introducing long term PCP deals for customers.’

Sepi Arani, Commercial Director at carwow said: ‘It’s promising to see that people across all parts of the country are looking to make the switch to electric as we move from the innovators and the early adopters already driving EVs to the early majority. Our data clearly demonstrates strong and consistent interest in EVs, despite some motorists living in areas with little private off-street parking.

‘What’s key now is that the industry comes together and works with local authorities to not only install more charge points, but, critically, ensure installation where they are needed most. It’s not simply about boasting about a total number, but getting the location, accessibility and the type of charger right is the recipe to ensure a significant real world impact for consumers.

‘To see a brand taking the charge on this as a real champion of the consumer speaks volumes for Vauxhall’s continued commitment to support UK motorists. This will avoid any EV infrastructure bottlenecks which could impact uptake over the coming years. Boosting the spread of charging points to smooth the transition to electric will also help the UK to meet its net zero targets.’