Electric Car Trends for 2023

Prior to the prohibition of gasoline and diesel vehicles, there are concerns about a scarcity of charging stations and fuel prices.

varying levels of access to electric vehicle charging stations

Although the UK now has 25,000 electric charging stations, the CMA predicts that by 2030, at least ten times as many would be required to meet anticipated demand.

Additionally, there is an unequal distribution of these charging stations. Due to local governments' delayed roll-out plans, rural areas in the UK run the risk of falling behind.

The CMA refers to the availability of chargers in the UK as a
"postcode lottery."

For instance, London has four times as many charging stations as Yorkshire and Humber (80 chargers per 100,000 people), which has just 20.

The delayed deployment of on-street charging stations, which is the responsibility of local authorities, also worries the CMA.

The absence of competition and customer choice poses a threat even in locations where the roll-out is progressing smoothly, such as public areas like retail malls, office parking lots, and highway fuel stations.

Investigation into charging for electric vehicles

In response, the CMA launched a probe into exclusivity agreements between charging provider Electric Highway and three service station operators, Extra, Moto, and Roadchef.

Eighty percent of all public charging stations are provided by Electric Highway, which also holds exclusive leases for up to fifteen years at specific locations.

Gridserve acquired the Electric Highway network from the energy company Ecotricity.

It informed us that it had just completed significant network improvements, improving the charging stations at more than 70 places.

Calls for the government to act with a national approach

-Finding working charging stations must be simple, and drivers must have access to the real-time availability information.

-It must be easy and quick to pay for charging, with contactless payments supported and no sign-up necessary.

-Every charging point must have a standard unit pricing that clearly states the cost of charging so that drivers may compare the prices of various services.

The transition to EVs will be hampered by a scarcity of charging stations.

Given that the transportation industry accounts for around 12% of the world's carbon footprint, it has received more attention.

As a result, nations are working together to transition to electric and plug-in hybrid automobiles.

This goal, however, faces significant challenges.