ICE vs EV - Will a Reliable Charging Infrastructure & Customer Service Tip the Balance in Favour of EV?

October, 2018 / Blog
Everyone agrees that electric vehicles (EV) will help us to fight against the toxic urban air pollution produced by internal combustion engines (ICE). But what are the main reasons hindering the adaptation to full electric mobility?

 

Next year 2019 will be the year of launch of many new all electric car models. However, already now there are over 20 EVs to choose from in the UK market.  So, availability is not an issue, unless you are still on the waiting list for the Tesla model 3!

 

The high price of EVs is an obstacle for many and governments are implementing purchase incentives to consumers to help bring electric cars onto our roads. With varying results, it must be said. The UK has introduced two Plug-in Grant schemes but under the most recent proposals, the grant for electric vehicles would actually be slashed and the grant for plug-in hybrid cars would be scrapped altogether.

 

The main problem remains and that is range anxiety. In other words, if I want that weekend away on the coast, am I going to get there without a hitch? It is generally accepted that the lack of charging points is the major hindrance standing in the way of the electric car revolution. This is something that calls for urgent measures – how to make a driver of battery-powered cars as much at ease as the driver of a petrol powered car when it comes to “filling up”? After all, petrol stations have had a head start!

 

 

If you are considering purchasing an electric vehicle, make sure you have enough battery coverage in your driving range to find a public charging point. This sounds self-evident, but it is not always the case. There are over 50 charge point network providers and a total of 7,000 public connectors available for public use according to the National Chargepoint Registry in the UK.

 

The coverage of the chargepoint network is not the only important aspect, the main concern being the reliability of the network. Public chargepoints, it must be said, are still dogged with a poor reputation for reliability, and, some would say, a reputation well deserved. The customers sometimes struggle to find the closest public charging point, … there might be difficulties to register as a new user of the network … and also general ‘how-to-use the charging equipment’ type of questions.

 

As often happens with new advancements in technology, it is the technology itself that leads the way in the early markets. We can see that this has happened again, the key stakeholders, car manufacturers and charge point operators, seem to have forgotten the end user.

 

EVA Global wants to see that the drivers of electric vehicles have full control of their options on the roads. While that means having a great range with sufficient numbers of charging points, it also means having well-maintained charging points and first-rate customer support for when they are not. No-one should be in fear of getting stranded. By introducing the first customer support channel for the electric mobility sector, EVA hopes to redress the balance, and play a key role in helping the customers feel confident enough to choose a full EV and to stay connected to the grid when needed!

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