New poll reveals Londoners’ top priorities at electric vehicle charging stations
Arcadis are currently working to deliver several rapid charging hubs for EVs across London’s road network and have commissioned YouGov to ask Londoners what their top priorities from a charging hub would be.
The polling highlighted that charging speed and convenience are top priorities for London’s current and future EV drivers.
When asked about the facilities people expect to find at a charging station, respondents noted access to a toilet as a top priority with 40% considering this essential.
A third (34%) said they would expect to stay at a charging station until their vehicle was fully charged (on average over 30 minutes).
Aside from the essentials, Londoners were open to seeing a wide range of facilities to help occupy their 30-minute charging time.
Over half the respondents considered retail outlets such as coffee or sandwich shops or newsagents and even hairdressers to be useful additions, while 36% said they would even be happy to put some time in at the gym or a climbing wall if one was available.
When asked, over 82% said fast charging points were important and immediate access to a charging point was the second most important consideration, with 81% not wanting to have to wait to find an available point.
81% also said the cost of charging their vehicle was important to them.
The survey follows the launch of Arcadis’s recent ‘Global Electric Vehicle Catalyst Index 2021’, which looks at 12 countries and states to see how well they are doing – and where they could improve – when it comes to EV adoption.
The UK ranks highly when it comes to country- and city-wide EV strategies and legislations, with the government putting the country on course to be the fastest nation in the G7 to decarbonise cars and vans.
However, when taking into account the number of EVs currently registered, the ratio of EVs per public charge point is as high as 27.2, putting the UK behind other European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany and France when it comes to the number of public charge points available.
Simon Swan, Future Mobility Senior Director at Arcadis, said: “It comes as no surprise that Londoners want to see rapid charging hubs get the basics right. If we’re going to make the transition to EVs as attractive as possible to people, we need to make sure charging is fast, simple and good value for money.
“To support the growing number of EVs in London it is forecast that between 2,700 to 3,900 rapid chargers will be required to meet demand. This has led to a focus on hub models which can offer multiple charge points at a single site to provide a highly reliable service with minimal wait times.
“Arcadis is investigating opportunities to develop and operate rapid hubs, with a focus on reinventing the charging experience. We want to provide Londoners with a safe and pleasant environment to recharge their car and make the most of their time whilst they are waiting.
“The results of this survey provide an opportunity to understand what is essential to include in our designs for London can make the charging experience attractive for all road users.”
Image: Shutterstock
