New car registration data shows improvements to UK’s EV charging infrastructure ‘necessary’

Jamie Hamilton, automotive partner and head of electric vehicles at Deloitte comments on new car registration figures from Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT):

“Nine consecutive months of growth has fuelled confidence in the sector. As a result, we are seeing a gradual increase in investment, with M&A increasingly becoming a priority to ensure business models are resilient to changing market conditions. We expect to see more consolidation of dealerships later in the year and more as investment continues to flow into the EV supply chain and charging infrastructure.

“After a slower than expected growth in April, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continued to outperform the market, reporting 59% growth and capturing a 15% share. When combined with plug in hybrids, EVs accounted for more than one in five cars sold last month.

“For the growth of EVs to continue at a pace that will meet mandated targets around the sale of zero emission vehicles, improvements to the UK’s charging infrastructure are necessary. The attractiveness of an EV to those with off-street parking compared to those without remains a major barrier to adoption. Government figures show that around 40% of Britain's 33 million cars are parked on the street, meaning that continued investment in affordable, accessible public charging points is needed to serve millions of potential EV drivers.

“The targets recently set out by the government as part of the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate consultation will make it easier to plan for the number of public charging points required and is likely to result in substantial investment in charging infrastructure.”