Demand for new EVs could increase by nearly 50% if the cost of public charging was reduced to be cheaper than that of putting petrol in a car, according to new research.
A poll by YouGov, commissioned by EV charging industry association ChargeUK, found that the proportion of people who said they would be likely to buy an EV increased in the event of public charging being cheaper than petrol from 25% to 37%.
ChargeUK points out that this figure would exceed the UK Government’s 2026 ZEV mandate target of 33% of manufacturers’ new car sales being zero-emission, and come close to the 2027 target of 38%.
The association therefore argues that the Government should resist calls to revise the mandate, and instead take action to cut public charging prices.
ChargeUK said the poll finding followed the Government’s announcement on the removal of VAT on home electricity bills, which it said would exacerbate the gap between home and public charging costs.
It said that while charging an EV at home worked out considerably cheaper than charging a petrol car, the calculation was less straightforward for those reliant on public charging, since while using a standard public charger was still cheaper than filling with petrol, ultra-rapid chargers were more expensive.
Jarrod Birch, head of policy and public affairs at ChargeUK, said: “The case for weakening sales targets rests on the claim that drivers will not buy electric cars. These results, combined with a post-Iran sales boom, blow a hole in that argument.
“They show that government has a huge demand lever left to pull, one that they already have a hand on through the public cost of EV charging review.
“Reducing the policy driven cost burden on charging networks and thus driver prices would be a quadruple win. Infrastructure investment unleashed in every postcode, cost of living reduced for millions, energy security strengthened and an auto industry able to comfortably meet its EV targets. Action must be taken before any regressive move is taken to roll them back.”
