CMA raises concern over slow roll-out of electric car charging infrastructure

Electric car charging provision at motorway service areas, on local roads and in rural areas is inadequate and needs to be accelerated as a matter of urgency, the competition regulator has warned on Friday.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the public charging infrastructure must be improved ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines, saying battery vehicle charging ‘should be as simple as filling up with petrol or diesel’ to encourage drivers to make the switch. 

It expressed concern about the choice and availability of places to plug in an electric car at motorway service stations and said the rollout of on-street charging by local authorities – which many drivers without off-street parking rely on – is ‘too slow’, while rural areas at risk of ‘being left behind’ due to a lack of investment.

Competition and Markets Authority wants EV charging infrastructure improved to a level that it is ‘as simple as filling up with petrol or diesel’

The CMA cited research indicating that difficulties with charging could stop motorists switching to electric cars.

Anxiety over the reliability of chargepoints, comparing prices and paying for charging ‘risk reducing people’s confidence and trust’, the CMA said.

It comes after a new index launched by insurer LV= this week claimed that a mainstream electric family car costs £1,300 less a year on average to run compared to an equivalent petrol or diesel model, meaning the premium price paid for an expensive EV will be recovered within a seven-year ownership period.

Andrea Coscelli, the organisation’s chief executive, stated that electric vehicles ‘play a critical role’ in reducing carbon emissions, but the challenges of ‘creating an entirely new charging network should not be underestimated’.

She went on: ‘Some areas of the rollout are going well and the UK’s network is growing – but it’s clear that other parts, like charging at motorway service stations and on-street, have much bigger hurdles to overcome.

‘There needs to be action now to address the postcode lottery in electric vehicle charging as we approach the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.’

What could potentially alleviate some of the CMA’s concerns regarding the motorway charging infrastructure is Gridserve’s recent acquisition of the network across service stations up and down the country.

The British firm behind the UK’s first dedicated charging forecourt for electric cars opened in Essex, in December in June purchased the rights to manage all devices located at motorway services from Ecotricity, which has for years been heavily criticised by early EV adopters for providing a network of outdated and unreliable chargers.

Gridserve has since announced plans to revolutionise the availability of chargers on the UK’s busiest routes, as part of its new Electric Highway scheme.

It will see every vehicle charging device at motorway services replaced with more dependable and faster-charging technology by September, but also add 50 high power ‘Electric Hubs’ – each offering between six and twelve ultra-rapid 350kW chargers – at the majority of these sites.

The hubs, which are part of a new £100million investment, will spark a significant improvement to charging on motorways, which has until recently been riddled with complaints about Dale Vince’s Ecotricity firm.  

Gridserve has promised to make a huge improvement to the Electric Highway network of EV chargers at motorway services, replacing all devices by September and adding 300 rapid chargers on our busiest roads

Gridserve has promised to add some 300 rapid chargers in total to 85 per cent of the UK’s motorway service stations, which will allow drivers of the latest EVs to add 100 miles of range in charges taking just five minutes.

The CMA made a series of recommendations, including that the Government sets out an ‘ambitious national strategy’ for expanding charging infrastructure up to the end of the decade.

Whitehall should define a clear role for local authorities to manage charging in their area, and establish a pubic body to monitor the sector.

Tesla Supercharger named best public charging network for EVs – and soon every EV owner will be able to use it 

 

Tesla’s Supercharger network has topped a new survey of electric car owners about the best providers for charging their vehicle’s batteries.

Of the 1,000 EV owners who use it and completed What Car?’s survey, they rated it very highly for reliability, charging speed, ease of payment and value for money, giving it an overall score of 89.8 per cent – which is the best marks achieved by any of the 12 providers reviewed.

The honour comes just over 24 hours after Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the US firm would be making its Supercharger network – currently exclusive to owners of Tesla cars – accessible for all electric vehicle owners.

Find out how 12 of the UK’s public charging networks rated in our report.

The regulator has also launched a competition law investigation into long-term exclusive arrangements for charging at motorway service areas.

It says drivers of the latest EVs should have access to a charging network that is as simple as filling up with petrol and diesel.

This means having a universal system that clearly highlights the locations where devices are, if they are working and whether they are available.

It also demanded for an easy pay structure, meaning a standardised pricing scheme, access for all EVs from different brands and acceptance of contactless payments. 

Commenting on the CMA’s report, Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy and watchdog Which?, said: ‘The UK’s electric car charging network is confusing, disjointed and in dire need of reform to make it a viable option for all, especially those who do not have access to a private charger – so it’s promising to see the CMA calling for a national strategy to improve the sector and investigating competition concerns. 

‘To ensure electric cars are a choice for most consumers, the government should take these recommendations seriously and take the necessary steps to make the public charging network larger, simpler and more accessible than it is today.’

The CMA’s report comes just a day after Mercedes-Benz owner, Daimler, outlined how it will move ahead with its electric future, promising to sell an electric version of every car in its range by 2025 – and aim to be ‘ready’ to be a fully-electric brand by the end of the decade.

One of the steps in its transition to EVs will arrive this year with the introduction of a ‘Plug & Charge’ system.

This will allow customers to plug-in, charge and unplug their electric Mercedes cars without extra steps needed for authentication and payment processing. 

It will be debuted later this year when in the EQS and mean drivers will be billed directly by Mercedes for any charging sessions using public devices.   

CMA’s key recommendations to boost EV charging infrastructure

Competition and Markets Authority wants EV charging infrastructure improved to a level that it is ‘as simple as filling up with petrol or diesel’ 

• UK Government sets out an ambitious National Strategy for rolling out EV charging between now and 2030. This must sit alongside strategies from the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Governments, building on the work already being undertaken by all governments. Energy regulators should also ensure that it’s quicker and cheaper to connect new chargepoints.

• Governments support local authorities (LAs) to boost roll-out of on-street charging – including defining a clear role for LAs to manage the roll-out in their area and providing funding for the expertise needed for this to happen.

• UK Government attaches conditions to its £950m Rapid Charging Fund – which it is planning to use for grid upgrades at motorway service stations – to open up competition so that drivers have a choice of charging provider at each service station.

• UK Government creates an EV charging sector that people can trust and have confidence in, including tasking a public body with monitoring the sector as it develops to ensure charging is as simple as filling up at a petrol station.