The long-term success of electric vehicles (EVs) is inevitably tied to the charging experience. No matter how attractive the cars or how smoothly they drive, sales will stall if owners struggle to access or pay for the electricity they need to power them. Not everyone has the luxury of a home charging unit, so that means public charging infrastructure will need to up its game.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) forecasts that around 6.8 million public charging points will be needed across Europe by 2030 as more drivers switch to EVs. Charging point numbers have been growing rapidly, soaring 180% over the last five years, but it’s still not enough. As it now stands, ACEA’s target would require a 22-fold increase in the number of chargers installed per year.
Then there is the payment aspect. Europe today lacks a widespread industry standard for payment acceptance at EV charging points. In many cases, consumers do not have a choice in how they pay and are forced into signing up to a specific app or provider programmes. Those that are not registered with the right service could find themselves unable to charge.
“Independently of car brand and country, charging is still perceived as one of the main obstacles when customers think about their next car,” says Andreas Aumann, Vice President of BMW Product Management. “Customers value effortless charging, in particular using their own wall box at home, but also on the go.”
