Almost half (45 percent) of EV drivers worry about a lack of available charge points in the near future. This is shown by the NewMotion EV Drivers Survey 2020, the largest survey among EV drivers in Europe. In addition, half (46 percent) of the surveyed drivers mention an increase in the availability of charge points as the one thing that will significantly improve their charging experience.
The use of a single charge card (41 percent) is also seen as an important improvement to the EV charging experience, since this will help to more easily access available charge points while on-the-go. A striking 77 percent of the respondents have a charge point at home while more than half of them (55 percent) have a charge point available at work. From the respondents who do not have a charge point at home, 53 percent say they also do not have one available at work. The survey shows that 61 percent of the people without a charge point at home use a standard socket to charge their EV at home. EV drivers should be aware that this can lead to safety issues such as overcapacity of the sockets and cables¹.
A handful of charge cards
The amount of charge cards EV drivers need to carry around is also of considerable importance to drivers. On average EV drivers carry 2.5 charge cards and 15 percent even have 5 or more cards. EV drivers in France carry the most charge cards (3.48 cards on average), followed by Germany (3.37) and the United Kingdom (3.19). The situation is better in the Netherlands (1.82) most likely because of the high volume of charge points, which is the highest in Europe.²
“This survey shows that one single charge card, as well as price transparency, are important topics for drivers and will help with making electric driving more attractive to a broader audience,” says Sytse Zuidema, CEO at NewMotion. “We believe in the creation of an open and accessible public charging network to provide EV drivers with the ease of charging their vehicle anywhere. One roaming network, smart charging and full-service solutions will fulfil the desired ease of use for EV drivers.”
Charge convenience main priority for EV driver
For those who own a charge point, ‘ease of use’ is the most important factor when choosing a charging solution, with more than half (52 percent) citing this as their main purchasing driver. A third (33 percent) mention the price of the charge point as important, while a quarter (26 percent) say that a recommendation from a third party such as a leasing company, a car dealer or employer, as most influential to their decision.
European differences for charging at work
In the Netherlands, a charge point at work is quite common: 72 percent of the respondents say they have a charge point at work. The chance you’ll find a charge point at an office in the UK or Germany is significantly lower: only 29 percent of British respondents and 41 percent of the German respondents have this.
Cost savings as main driver
Saving money is the most mentioned reason for switching to an electric vehicle. 61 percent of EV drivers say they drive an EV to save money, closely followed by the driving experience (58 percent). A quarter of the EV drivers mention secondary benefits as an important driver to switch to an electric vehicle. Remarkably, the contribution to a better environment (10 percent) is not mentioned as a main reason for switching to an EV that often, although EV drivers generally see themselves as ‘pro-environmental’ (81 percent).
EV drivers stick with their choice
EV drivers are very enthusiastic about their switch to EV. Most people (86 percent) believe their next car will be an electric vehicle, while only 2 percent would switch back to a conventional (fossil fuel powered) car. Additionally, 9 out of 10 people would recommend an electric vehicle to others, only 3 percent indicate they would not recommend owning an EV to others.
EV drivers even believe driving electric will rapidly be the norm. 60 percent of EV drivers expect that ‘full electric’ will be the most dominant fuel type in 2030. 14 percent expect ‘hydrogen’ to be the most dominant full type in the future, while 13 percent have high hopes for hybrid. Only 12 percent expect fossil fuel to remain the most dominant fuel type.
“Driving electric is the undisputed future of mobility. The industry is currently at the crossroad of mobility and the energy transition as electric driving has become more popular. It’s upscaling into its next phase: mass adoption and we’re ready to take EV charging to this next level with our smart solutions,” says Sytse Zuidema, CEO at NewMotion. “At NewMotion, we want to lower barriers for EV driving. If we want to make e-mobility more accessible, the whole industry needs to become more mature and collaboration between parties in the energy transition, car manufacturing and EV charging will be key. This will be the only way to live up to the promising future of electric driving.”
SOURCE: Shell
