Putting the charge behind EV wheels

Markets across the globe are accelerating into an EV future faster than ever. Last month, Biden took a historic step by signing a new order aiming for half of all new vehicles in the US to be electric by 2030, whilst in the UK the government aims to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the same timeframe.

Manufacturers continue to move away from traditional ICE vehicle models, with Tesla putting more than 1,000,000 all-electric cars on the road globally, Audi’s electric e-tron quickly gathering momentum and Volvo increasing the performance of hybrid cars to increase the distance that people can drive using electric-only power.

And this is not to mention consumer appetite for EVs rising, particularly with environmental factors now higher up on the agenda; surprisingly, work still needs to be done to convince North American drivers with less than half (45%) motivated to buy EVs to reduce their carbon footprint.

But, for all of the disruption caused, the question remains over whether widespread adoption can become a genuine reality in the next decade…

The current EV landscape

One of the hardest roadblocks, among many, that retailers and businesses need to focus on is the lack of infrastructure and available charging points. From an infrastructure perspective, only at the end of 2020 was the UK’s first electric forecourt opened, and in the US chargers are distributed unevenly, with California having nearly the same amount of charging stations as the 39 states with the lowest count combined – showcasing that the underlying network needs to accelerate, and accelerate quickly.

Along with improving access to EV charging, the volume and location of stations will be key to the level of market growth required as currently 27% of prospective buyers are fearful of running out of charge and list it as a barrier to purchase; this will need to be addressed if the UK government’s net-zero target is to become a reality by 2030.

It’s vital that extensive charging points are installed to reassure this new breed of driver, particularly as over half expressed concerns over range anxiety, allowing them to feel confident they can charge on the roads and not only at home.

Here’s how mass charging points can be implemented efficiently and more importantly successfully.

Hone the metrics to optimise the results

The famous quote, “data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves,” couldn’t be truer. Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, was making the point that data has always been available but now it’s real-time, faster and coming from everywhere. That’s an opportunity for savvy businesses willing to adapt and evolve.

Blanket installation may lead to shortcomings, but a data driven approach can help fuelling stations, retailers and governing bodies understand what is required for large-scale EV adoption: the costs associated with installation, regional variations, key demographic of EV drivers, changed habits from the pandemic, and locations that have high ROI.

At Kalibrate, we’re using Location Intelligence data and insights to provide our customers with information, as not only does it enable a steadfast decision-making process when they begin creating purpose built, electric-only forecourts that include cafes, food services, wellbeing areas, business lounges and shops, but it allows them to tap into an entirely new revenue stream with confidence.

Similarly, leveraging the data provided by Location Intelligence allows our customers to become front runners in the EV movement and appeal to the 41% of drivers wanting EV charging points at existing fuel stations, as well as over half (57%) at shopping venues.

What’s more, the fact that three quarters (75%) of North American businesses say that that they’re ready to profit when EVs become more widespread highlighted the maturity and appetite in the US to widely adopt this next generation of transport.

It will be essential for all businesses to use the insights that they can glean to discover who EV consumers are and the journeys they take today, but also how this changes as we progress through the adoption curve to mass ownership.

A cleaner future

The market is edging towards a tipping point and it’s an exciting prospect that the likes of Shell, 7-11 and many more see value in; 7-11 plan to open 500 EV charging ports by the end of 2022, and the key to success will be using data insights to support and accelerate a nationwide EV roll-out.

Clearly, legislation, manufacturers and consumer demand will spearhead mass EV adoption, particularly as environmental factors increase in importance. A situation of gradually, then suddenly may be imminent.

But if the issue of charging points isn’t addressed, it may put the brakes on future EV wheels.

To start your EV journey today, download The Electric Opportunity report.

By Anila Siraj, Head of Alternative Fuels Strategy at Kalibrate