Public charger access may hinder SME EV uptake

A postcode lottery in charge points could hamper the ability of SMEs to adopt electric vehicles (EVs), according to Zurich.

The company mapped the number of publicly available EV charge points across the UK against the small business population and found, on average, there is just one public charge point available for every 56 small businesses.

Will Edwards, Zurich’s Head of SME, said: “SMEs have a huge and vital role to play in helping the UK reach the Government’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2050. With lower running costs and exemption from many charges that apply to combustion-engine vehicles, switching to an electric fleet should be an easy decision for SMEs. However, the shortage of chargepoints in many UK regions and counties could prevent SMEs from making the leap. Furthermore, regional disparities in access to charging infrastructure may hinder the ability of small firms to do business, or their desire to invest, in some parts of the UK.

“We need to see a levelling up of public charging infrastructure, so all businesses, irrespective of where they are located, can benefit from the EV revolution and also meet sustainability targets.”

Small businesses in Greater Manchester have access to the fewest electric vehicle chargepoints, with 237 firms competing for every publicly available socket. This is followed by Essex (203 firms per charger) and Surrey (169 per charger).

The analysis also revealed vast regional disparities, with 111 SMEs in Northern Ireland vying for each public chargepoint available. The North West averages 70 SMEs per charger, while the East of England averages 67 firms per charger.

Small businesses in Greater London have the lowest number of businesses per chargepoint at 23, followed by Scotland (32) and the North East (35).

Zurich is calling on the Government to address the disparities as part of its levelling up agenda and to ensure a level playing field for organisations wanting to go electric.

Progress is being made and the number of public charging points grew 31% in the year to July 2022. The number of sockets installed in UK workplaces via the Government’s Workplace Charging Scheme also saw a 60% jump during the last financial year (April 21-Mar 22), with over 10,000 new sockets installed in workplaces across the UK. Some regions are stalling, however, and workplaces in the North East, Wales and Northern Ireland completed the least number of sockets installations through the grant – 1,198, 976 and 536 respectively.

Zurich is advising businesses and local authorities to investigate their eligibility for grants through current government schemes which aim to boost charging infrastructure across the UK. This includes the Workplace Charging Scheme which provides businesses, charities and public sector organisations with support towards the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points.  Local Authorities are also able to apply for grants through the On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme to install residential charge points.

A report by vehicle leasing company Novuna, casts doubt on whether the Government’s target of installing 300,000 devices by 2030 is achievable, and uncovers growing discontent amongst EV drivers.

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