With the increase of drivers converting to electric vehicles (EV), there is now a greater focus and demand on the number of EV charging points available to help with the development of this new and exciting shift.

This has become increasingly apparent with EV-car manufacturers as they are quickly extending their EV line-ups and numerous administrations are offering generous purchase incentives.  Across Europe, a gathering of automakers, naturalists, and consumer groups have recently appealed to the EU environment, transport, industry, and energy officials to utilise the current year’s modification of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure law. Before the decade’s over, there is a legitimate necessity for 3,000,000 additional charging points.

Boris Johnson along with the Government has recently published a new plan announcing the acceleration to the transmission of electrically powered motors by 2030. The contribution to climate change is one of the primary objectives of rolling out more EVs and different types of public transport. The Prime Minister hopes to eradicate the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050. Mr Johnson’s ten-point plan has been set out with the mission to level-up across the country for a greener and environmentally sustainable future.

One of the key drivers is to back several industry-led groups of vehicle manufacturing companies across the West Midlands, North East, and North Wales and by doing so, speeding up the transition from petrol-fuelled motors to electric-powered vehicles and transforming our national infrastructure to better support climate change and the positive effects of switching over to EV. Following a broad conference with vehicle producers and merchants, the Prime Minister has affirmed that the UK will end the offer of new petroleum and diesel vehicles and vans by 2030, ten years sooner than initially planned.   To speed up these changes, the Prime Minister announced a 1.3-billion-pound investment to support the rollout of EV charging points across the UK.

In support of the Prime Minister’s recent update, the Welsh Government published their plans to boost electric charging points across Wales. The aim is that by 2025 all drivers who regularly use EV’s including cars and vans in Wales will feel confident they can access charging points freely and be able to charge up when they need to. The proposed plan states the investment is likely to be as much as 30 million pounds and will be set aside to help with the delivery of this ambitious project. A conference on the strategy has already been initiated as part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing efforts to support the development of lower-emission vehicles.

It has been said that currently only 0.17% of commuters across Wales only use electric cars ever-increasing the number of EV’s on roads is part of their ongoing efforts to achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions from the transport network. This has already been outlined in a draft transport strategy published on the 17th of November 2020.

The EV market is still a relatively new, emerging market, but one which will be an integral part of reducing carbon emissions and how we all travel in the years to come. Changes cannot be driven by the Government alone and the aims of all of these renewable objectives will decisively support the ongoing efforts of the public, private and third sectors to come together and to give the confidence and trust when using electrical methods of transport. Discussions with consumers have identified a huge number of questions that initially reduce overall confidence and their concerns when switching over to electric vehicles, which the Welsh Government has now recognised and covered as part of their desires to increase user certainty.

Some of their key objectives include:

• Regularly updated information regarding charging points on main roads
• 24-hour support to assist drivers with little to no understanding of EV’s
• Safe, well-lit environments for people to access charging facility points
• Contactless payments point freely available via app-based systems

There are several vehicle manufacturers currently working on developing electric and hybrid vehicles, with many due to arrive over the next twelve months. During 2020 there was an influx of new discussions from major models, mainstream dealerships, and manufacturers. Some of the major competitors included Volkswagen, ID 3, Honda E, Vauxhall, Corsa-e. Despite the nation currently dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and national emergency, 2021 looks positive with a huge selection of new EV’s to choose from. EV manufacturers are showing a united front in the fight to battle carbon emissions with the use of more environmentally friendly electrical models being made available for the consumer market.

Ford recently announced they intend to spend a staggering 1 Billion dollars to reformulate its factory in Cologne, Germany, where it is said to supply and produce EV’s (Electric Vehicles), using a new and improved Volkswagen platform. The first manufactured prototype is expected for delivery around 2023. Stuart Rowley, who is currently the Chief Executive of Ford, Europe made his statement during an online news conference this month. Their aims involve phasing out petrol-powered motors in favour of energy-efficient and electric vehicles of power.

Furthermore, two years from now they also expect to convert their entire line of petrol-powered vehicles into electric or plug-in hybrids. They still intend to supply a range of petrol-powered vehicles across Europe after 2030, however, their vision is for electric models to account for two-thirds of the European sales.

Looking beyond the cost of purchasing an EV, the benefits of what you could save are far outweighed. You are also helping to improve the environment and contribute to emitting fewer carbon emissions. On average it has been said that an electrically powered vehicle costs less than £1.30 to drive 100 miles (This cost was based on a tariff produced by EDF GoElectric 35 during off-peak hours). That’s roughly the cost of a cup of tea! The average petrol equivalent to venture out on the same journey would cost some car owners as much as £10.36.

With more and more motorists across the UK choosing to switch to EV, the infrastructure to support this needs to increase! At City Energy, we install EV charging points hassle-free, meaning you’ll always have a full battery when heading out. We are supporting the expansion of the EV charging infrastructure across the UK, so if you’re looking for EV charging at home, your workplace, or in a public environment, we offer some of the most reliable EV charging technology on the market. We specialise in electrical charging points for both domestic and commercial customers and we cover absolutely everything for you, ensuring that all aspects of the installation meet current legislation and regulations. NICEIC-approved, you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands with us.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and if you would like to know more, please get in touch today.  Why not have a free survey to see if you qualify for any grants, both domestic and commercial.