As we are heading towards a cleaner and more sustainable world, it isn’t hard to give thought to our own responsibility in helping the environment. Advancements such as Electric Vehicles support us in reducing our carbon footprints to create a more environmentally friendly world – but at what cost?  

 

To achieve a greener society, the UK Government is committed to ban the sale of Petrol and Diesel vehicles by 2030, with the ban of Hybrid vehicle sales following five years later. Fortunately, this only applies to new vehicles and the sale of used vehicles is still permitted, but with the many benefits of going electric it seems smart to consider switching sooner. The electric revolution boasts EV’s are better for the environment, better for your pockets and are an all-round better driving experience. However, being an EV owner myself, I feel I am obligated to share my own truths about owning a ‘vehicle of the future’. Honestly, this isn’t a dig at the vehicles themselves but the public electric vehicle charging points that I’m yet to have any luck with…

The biggest advantage of any electric vehicle is the running cost and on average switching to electric will save you roughly around £500 on fuel annually. Clearly this is a great incentive to make the big jump but instead of paying in notes and coins, sadly you will be paying with your time. Prepare to be greeted often with non-electric vehicles parked in public charging spaces. I have found myself time and time again playing an involuntary waiting game for the driver to return. My own research found people wait an average of 45 minutes for a charging point to become free.  

 

The blame isn’t solely on petrol and diesel drivers as other times electric vehicles being charged have reached maximum charge but are left unattended with the owner shopping nearby. This problem is recognised, and, in many locations, there will be a charge for overstaying. So, an etiquette tip for us all - charge, unplug and vacate!

Finding a vacant charging point is just the first obstacle faced on the quest to a greener future. Connectivity problems is another. This includes charging points with no available power, failure to connect to vehicle, app and signal issues and payment/ smartcards unable to connect. Unlike some petrol stations all electric chargers are unmanned so you will have to navigate these issues alone. 

 

On a positive note, the Government have said they are committed in improving the consumers experience and “will also be supporting fleet electrification by introducing payment roaming across the public charge point network”. Something to look forward to in the very near future.

Connectivity problems can also come in a physical form. I have found myself numerous times driving in circles struggling to find a charger that isn't damaged. Be prepared for visible wires, snapped adapters, and smashed screens. Live wires sticking out from the end of an adapter which had been ‘fixed’ poorly with the help of duct tape has been the most amusing and admittedly most dangerous I have come across so far. It is clear to see that not all damage is general wear and tear, and vandalism is also a common occurrence.  

 

Electric vehicle charging apps have been introduced with the function to report any damaged or vandalised chargers to a maintenance team. Although this doesn’t solve the problem it does help maintain the chargers and help users identify which charger locations to avoid.

Electric charging points are now prevalent across the UK and the demand for them will only increase. They massively outweigh petrol stations, but the accessibility is secondary. Depending on the location of the charger, it can prove difficult to access due to site opening hours. Some chargers are for customer use only and a less common reason can be seen in the first picture below. This property was located on a National Trust Heritage site and was free for customer use, however, has been out of service due to renovation work. 

 

To overcome similar problems, it is best to download an EV App Map to pinpoint the out of service locations. This is a network of consumers who have logged the locations on a map where they have experienced problems. I then avoid these like the plague! Unfortunately, out of service locations are not always logged or you may be the first user to experience a problem nonetheless it is still a very handy application to have.

To conclude, my last frustrating point I would like to make, are the EV’s kilowatts and charging speeds. Most public places will have Level 2 chargers meaning it can take roughly around 3 long inconvenient hours to gain a full charge. Some public locations do have Level 3, also known as Rapid Chargers. Admittedly, I can not fault the speed of these chargers they are super-fast and advanced. However, the charging speed can dramatically reduce on dual chargers if another EV driver is charging at the same time. This can result in 50KW rapid chargers taking much longer to charge. Returning to your vehicle with the expectation of a fully charged car and being met with anything but is a feeling I know all too well.

My advice is to have a home charging point installed to charge overnight and only use public chargers to top up throughout the day. The cost of home chargers begins from £800 and they allow overnight charging where electricity tariffs are often cheaper to run. So, the question remains, will you be changing to electric? 

 

Clearly, this article relates to EV cars and domestic users and we appreciate that in the commercial world there are different influences not least that the Government is still paying a subsidy or funding a discount for certain vehicles.

Vans

Small vans up to 2,500 kg                                             Maximum discount  £2,500

Large vans 2,500-4,250kg                                              Maximum discount  £5,000

 

Small Trucks over 4,250kg and under 12,000kg    Maximum discount  £16,000

Large Trucks over 12,000kg                                          Maximum discount  £25,000

 

All recognised taxi vehicles                                          Maximum discount £7,500

Hopefully, as the commercial vehicle world starts to ‘electrify’ its operations there will be appropriate infrastructure in place to support vehicle charging as clearly time is money and delays are not acceptable or viable.