In October, the one millionth electric vehicle was registered in the UK, marking a milestone towards net zero and the government’s zero emissions targets. But as the number of EVs continues to grow, supply chain issues are emerging as the biggest concern for manufacturers.
The infrastructure currently in place to support an EV-centric ecosystem still requires a lot of work to enable even the current number of EVs on the road.
For example, the dwell time for fleet operators remains a significant problem, since the charging speeds are nowhere near as efficient as simply filling up with petrol.
David Savage, vice president of Geotab UK and Ireland, said investment is key for drivers to have confidence in the electric car revolution.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “I think sustainability is key. You must be able to get these benefits in order to stay.
READ MORE: New E10 petrol changes are rolling out today
There were 2,722,060 company cars in the UK in the first three months of 2022, up almost 47,000 on the previous quarter.
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has launched the #SeeTheBenefit campaign to highlight the value of electric cars.
The automobile association called for plans to expand the currently low tax rates for electric cars.
Currently, the tax rates for benefits in kind are only known up to the tax year 2024/2025.
READ MORE: Abarth tests facial recognition technology to monitor drivers
Even so, Mr Savage said fleet investments in electric vehicles are already healthy and would be further encouraged with more confidence in the charging network.
He continued, saying: “We’re starting to see sales slowing down as we maybe move into the next wave of people making the switch.
“It’s only natural that early adopters will go first. It’s the next wave where incentives will be key to help, particularly in the consumer space.
“Cuting the grants earlier this year was a bit early, that was the wave of early adopters. It’s the next three, four, five possibilities that you have to worry about.
“Government needs to look at incentives, education and infrastructure.”
At the end of October 2022 there were 35,778 charging points for electric vehicles at 21,378 charging locations across the UK.
That represents a 35 percent increase in the number of chargers since October 2021, according to Zap Map data.
There are also 6,508 fast and ultra-fast chargers in the UK, a 75 per cent increase on last year.
