Vauxhall pledge support to game-changing on-street charging initiative

Electric Streets of Britain could supercharge EV uptake among your drivers

Vauxhall are putting their support behind an on-street charging campaign that could supercharge EV uptake among your grey fleet and salary sacrifice drivers.

In collaboration with char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge, Vauxhall have created an ‘Enablement Fund’, as part of their ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ programme.

The programme has been designed to increase the number of on-street charging facilities across the UK after new data revealed some alarming figures.

Their research, using findings from a Freedom of Information application, found that more than 70% of UK councils currently don’t have a published strategy ready to support EV drivers who are unable to charge their vehicles at home.

It’s estimated around 40% of UK homes do not have a driveway or any off-street parking that would be suitable to charge an EV. Unfortunately, this figure rises closer to 60% when you move into more urban neighbourhoods.

It has become one of the major barriers for prospective EV drivers who are looking to switch to electric out of a petrol or diesel car.

They found that 80% of all EV charging is done at home, so the need to provide an alternative method for those without a driveway will be crucial in the Government’s plans to meet their 2030 targets.

Innovative on-street charging solutions could include lamp post chargers, which they claim can be installed and ready to use in just 30 minutes.

The campaign gives members of the public the opportunity to express the needs of their area to offer councils up and down the country better sight on where the immediate demand for electric vehicles is and where charging facilities need to be improved.

A game-changing moment for salary sacrifice?

A 2021 survey from Kwit Fit has highlighted two of the major reasons why car buyers in the UK are not yet ready to commit to an EV.

The survey questioned millions of car buyers and the most common reason for not considering buying an electric car for their next vehicle was ‘the lack of fast charging points in the areas I commonly drive’.

As much as 37% of car owners bemoaned the lack of fast charging in their area, while 30% said they would not be able to charge at home.

Widespread on-street charging solutions across the UK offer major reassurances to drivers looking to make the switch.

For all the incentivised salary sacrifice schemes that offer affordable monthly prices on the latest EVs, if your drivers fear they’re unable to charge conveniently and integrate an electric car into their daily lifestyles, buy-in to said schemes will always be limited.

According to Zap Map, as of July 2023, there are 45,737 electric vehicle charging points located across the UK.

The report from Vauxhall states there are just over 12,700 on-street residential charging points installed, at the time of writing.

Asif Ghafoor, Chief Executive of Be.EV, commented, “We should be equipping neighbourhoods with hubs of ultra-rapid chargers, servicing every home within a 10-minute walk. People can fit charging their EV into their lifestyle – while they’re at work, doing their groceries, dining out, or going to the cinema.”

Bringing greater charging flexibility for business drivers

The benefits that come with improved on-street charging options extend far beyond personal EV drivers.

It could open up a new world of charging possibilities for electric van drivers.

The report found that four in 10 company-owned electric vans are charged at home by employees.

Increasing the number of readily available public chargers on streets will make topping up more convenient for drivers but also encourage more businesses to expand their electric fleet offering, safe in the knowledge their drivers will have the option to charge on the go as they work in more residential areas.

To stay on track with their 2030 EV targets, the Government and local authorities must come together to create flexible and convenient charging solutions that cater for every household.

Ensuring that on-street charging solutions are offered sufficient attention and funding will offer further support to those potential EV drivers and eliminate one of the major barriers to entry.