Abstract:

The United Kingdom (UK) has seen rapid growth in the electrification of its passenger car market, and the trend is expected to continue. Plug-in electric models represented 3% of new passenger car registrations in 2019, and that share has approximately tripled in the first half of 2020. The UK government also is considering a 100% zero-emission new car sales goal for 2035 and Scotland aims to fully phase out petrol and diesel car or van purchases by 2032. This paper assesses the electric vehicle charging infrastructure necessary to power electric passenger cars in the UK through 2030. To inform national and local-level charging infrastructure policy, as well as help steer public and private investments, this report quantifies the amount of public, workplace, and rapid charging needed across UK metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The charging assessment reflects best-available market and charging behavior data, expected increases in electric range and charging speed, and the increased need for public charging as the market broadens beyond early adopters. This paper leads to three main conclusions, they are (1) The UK’s ambitious electric vehicle goals will need equally ambitious charging goals. (2) Fast charging deployment has shown strong growth. (3) More vehicles can be supported per publicly accessible charger in future years.