Demystifying the EV transition
As the electric vehicle market takes the world of fleet management and vehicle solutions by storm, Saul Furse, managing director at Radius Vehicle Solutions, offers his take on EV range anxiety
Is it true that electric vehicles have a poor range? How far can you really drive an electric vehicle before running out of battery? Is EV range anxiety justified or is it a fear of the past? These are questions that concern many, especially as EVs are quickly becoming the new norm.
But as the EV market takes the transport world by storm, it’s time to bust the myths and look at the energy transition without bias, acknowledging the difficulties, but embracing the benefits.
Let’s talk range anxiety
Range anxiety is not new. Of course, no one wants to be stranded on a deserted road in the middle of nowhere. But how legitimate is this fear today?
Although this fear cannot but fully eradicated overnight as the nation learns to change its driving habits like never before, the chance of this happening in the UK is getting slimmer every day. As of June 2022, there were 19,960 locations to charge an EV vehicle at, with hundreds of new charging points being installed every month.
What’s more, EV range varies from vehicle to vehicle. The average battery pack size increased from 37 kWh in 2018 to around 44 kWh, with some cars now even having up to a 100 kWh capacity. With people in the UK usually travelling short distances, the average battery size can sometimes be more than enough.
Of course, there are still instances when that range anxiety is certainly justified. No transport professional wants to find themselves stranded. With telematics solutions, businesses can assess which vehicles are ready to be switched to EV. Analysing the maximum daily mileage and the opportunities to charge overnight mean you can ensure that a vehicle will never be short of charge.
Whilst EV vehicles aren’t yet right for all businesses and use cases, you may be surprised by what can be switched today.
What about infrastructure?
The charging of electric vehicles is undeniably a significant challenge that the sector needs to address. The government must implement a strategy to assess geographical and future needs to ensure charging infrastructure is deployed successfully. If the location of charge points isn’t seriously reviewed, then millions could be wasted on unused, poorly located charging points.
Whilst this is most certainly a challenge, more and more charge points are being developed in the UK. The government’s plan is to reach 300,000 public charging points across the UK by 2030 and there were 207 charging points installed in June 2022 alone. And for rapid and ultra-rapid charging, there are 6,018 rapid and ultra-rapid devices spread across the UK, with a total of 13,133 rapid connecters.
And there are also private charge points, meaning consumers can charge overnight and ditch any concern they will run out of range. On top of that, many businesses are adding charging points at their premises for their employees. They can take advantage of the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme, granting them £350 for each charging point to cover the cost of installation, with a limit of 40 sockets per applicant.
Essentially: the chances of not finding a charging point in the UK are not as challenging as they once were and, with more infrastructure being invested in every day, it’s only going to get easier.
What’s more, with the government’s plan to have all new cars and vans being fully zero-emission by 2035, regardless of the fears of range anxiety, fleet managers need to face up to the truth: the time to consider changing from a conventional vehicle to EV might just be now.
For those wanting to dip their toe into the world of EV, Radius Vehicle Solutions is here to provide category insights on how you are best placed to join the EV revolution, including vehicle hire or leasing options as a great place to start.
More information on Radius Vehicle Solutions can be found at the website.
