Poll: 1 in 3 EV drivers charges en route

More than a third of electric vehicle (EV) drivers now add power to them mid-journey, according to research.

A survey of more than 4,000 users of charge point mapping service Zap-Map revealed that 37 per cent rely on en-route charging.

More than a third of those polled also use high-speed charge stations, which often feature ultra-rapid devices that can add up to 100 miles of power within 15 minutes.

Overall, 9 in 10 EV drivers use the public charging network, according to the poll, which was carried out in conjunction with law firm TLT. Many use the public network on a monthly basis.

The survey also revealed rising demand for on-street charge points as well as consistent use of shorter sessions to top up batteries at destinations such as supermarkets and hotels.

Zap-Map said investors were considering funding charge point networks far more than a year ago.

The firm said data would be key to improving the experience of EV drivers as well as unlocking funding to build more useful infrastructure.

Zap-Map co-founder Melanie Shufflebotham said the report was an important step towards understanding how the EV landscape was changing. 

“Identifying and acting on current usage patterns across en-route, destination and on-street charging will be crucial for future charge point planning for investors, operators, local authorities and landowners alike,” she said.

“This data is already being collected and can be extremely useful in understanding where the hot spots are and how the key trends are evolving.”

Maria Connolly, head of future energy and real estate at TLT, added: “Investor confidence is growing and new funding models are emerging. We can expect to see this continue and further examples of this innovation in the coming year.”

Image courtesy of Zap-Map