The United Kingdom has installed roughly 6,000 new electric vehicle chargers during the first three months of 2024, reaching a record number of installations in the process, as reported by the Guardian, citing the figures published by the Department of Transport.
As of April 1st, there were around 60,000 operational public car charges in the UK, almost twice as many as in 2022 and an increase of nearly 49% over 2023.
Public charging has been made available in locations previously underserved by the UK's recent expansion of its infrastructure for charging electric vehicles, according to Ben Nelmes, CEO of the automotive think tank New AutoMotive.
This is partly because more local governments are progressively installing more EV chargers in the ground by using grants from the federal government.
The grants were first unveiled in early February. Grants for state-funded academies, nurseries, and schools can cover up to 75% of the expenses.
Additionally, several local government entities expect to receive over £14.2 million in financing for EV charging stations.
To enhance the charge station amenities for staff and visitors, state-sponsored schools, universities, nurseries, and academies can apply for money sponsored by the Department of Transportation as part of the workplace charging scheme. Schools may be able to make money if they let the public use their charging stations.
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Europe's EV Adoption Concerns
The record number follows just weeks after EV market shares declined from 14.16% in 2023 to 12% or less since the beginning of 2024, which proved to be evidence of Europe's lagging adoption rate of electric vehicles.
The decline can be mainly ascribed to Germany's decision to suddenly stop providing subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles on the biggest market on the continent by the end of 2023. The percentage was 14.16% last year and has been 12% or less since the start of this year.
This is in keeping with the concerns expressed by Sigrid de Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), who noted that the deadline of 2035 for the complete adoption of electric vehicles in Europe is drawing near.
Statistics from the ACEA show that fewer than 30% of Europeans say they plan to buy an EV, and over half of them will not pay more than €35,000 (RM180,256) for a car in a price range at which few EVs are accessible.
Additionally, several automaker CEOs voiced reservations regarding Europe's adoption of EVs. The President of ACEA reportedly said that although European carmakers have committed over €250 billion to electrification and are unwavering in decarbonization, they cannot accomplish this shift alone.
EV Adoption Improvements
Thankfully, according to Ben Nelmes, the CEO of New Automotive, a think tank devoted to electric vehicles, councils have been installing EV charging points at a record rate partly because they have been steadily using funding from the central government.
The UK has sold over a million electric vehicles. 94% of EV drivers in England who participated in a poll conducted by the Electric Vehicle Association last year stated they occasionally, seldom, or never experienced range anxiety, compared to just 6% who claimed they experienced it very often or moderately often.
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