Tuesday 12 February 2013

UK govm't PIP scheme adds 1700 charge points

The GreenCarWebsite reports that the Plugged-in Places scheme has helped more than double the amount of available public charging points for electric car owners in the UK.

According to new research by AMA Research, it is estimated that by March 2012, more than 3,000 charging points had been installed across the country of which 1,673 of which were delivered via Plugged-in-Places (PiP) government scheme.

More than 60 per cent of the 3,000-odd charging points (around 1,800) are available to the public too, making it easier for electric car drivers to roam across the country.

In its new 'Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market Report’, AMA looks at how EV infrastructure is shaping up, and projects how the market will develop between now and 2025.

By 2025, the UK market for charging infrastructure is expected to be worth over 30 million, from a value 8.3 million in 2013. Between 2016 and 2020 alone, the market is projected to increase in value by 118 per cent, from 11 million to 24 million.
But challenges remain to advancing the EV charging market, with the lack of standardisation of components and technology having a significant impact on growth. The market remains very dependent on Government funding too, including the PiP scheme, while consumer uptake of electric car is being held back by range anxiety.

The eight PiP areas of the country (London, Milton Keynes, Scotland, North East, Northern Ireland, East of England, Midlands, Greater Manchester) account for the vast majority of current electric charging infrastructure at the moment, helping to raise awareness and confidence in electric cars. In total the government has provided more than £400 million in funding to promote the uptake of plug-in vehicles.

Standard chargers account for more than half the market by volume. These require no alterations to the electricity supply making them quick to install and less costly and therefore ideal for quickly boosting visibility and widening access in the early stages of the market. Fast chargers represent a further significant proportion of market volume.

While most electric car owners prefer to charge at home or at work, the public charging network is expected to continue to grow over the next 12 years.