More electric vehicle charge points than petrol stations in UK by 2020
According to auto giant and EV manufacturer Nissan, there will be more public electric vehicle (EV) charge points than petrol stations in the UK by August 2020
According to auto giant and EV manufacturer Nissan, there will be more public electric vehicle (EV) charge points than petrol stations in the UK by August 2020.
The number of traditional fuel stations in the UK fell from 37,539 in 1970 to 8,472 at the end of 2015, and it is expected to keep falling to under 7,870 by mid-2020, according to Nissan’s recent report.
More than 75 per cent of traditional petrol stations have closed during the last 40 years.
The amount of public EV charge points, on the contrary, is estimated to increase and reach 7,900 by August 2020, or even before. There are currently 4,100 , already a significant increase since 2011 - at which time there were just a few hundred.
The EV market is growing fast, thanks to operators’ ambitious plans and an increasing demand. One new electric car was registered every 13 minutes in the UK during the first quarter of 2016.
Upfront costs for EVs are falling, and battery ranges are to make zero-emission vehicles more cost effective than traditional cars, influencing the increasing demand for EVs.
Edward Jones, EV manager at Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd said: “As electric vehicle sales take off, the charging infrastructure is keeping pace and paving the way for convenient all-electric driving... Combine that with constant improvements in our battery performance and we believe the tipping point for mass EV uptake is upon us.”
He added: “As with similar breakthrough technologies, the adoption of electric vehicles should follow an ‘S-curve’ of demand. A gradual uptake from early adopters accelerates to a groundswell of consumers buying electric vehicles just as they would any other powertrain.”
EVs are expected to become cheaper than conventional cars on a total cost of ownership basis by 2022, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Firms are investing more and more in expanding the EV charging network, including the incorporation of coffee shops and fitness facilities to UK charging stations, as planned by UK start-up EV Hub.
