EU driving readiness: UK takes third place

Norway and the Netherlands are currently ranked higher than the UK in an analysis of the preparedness of 22 European countries for the transition to EVs. The UK tied in third place with Austria.

The 2022 EV Readiness Index is based on three factors: EV registrations, the maturity of EV infrastructure and government incentives in each country.

However, the analysis, commissioned by LeasePlan, also show that access to public charge points is proving to be a significant barrier to adoption, with all countries, including the UK, scoring very low in this category.

Likewise, the availability of fast chargers along UK motorways was found to be significantly lower than needed.

Research from the EV Energy Taskforce suggests that the UK will need between 253,000 and 661,000 extra electric vehicle (EV) charge points by 2035 to meet the phase out of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Alfonso Martinez, managing director of LeasePlan UK, says: “With only 30,000 charge points available at present, most of them in towns and cities, there is a huge risk that drivers who want to go EV will be too scared to make the switch.

“We need greater access to reliable and affordable public charge points now, not just in 2030, and these need to be highly visible so that tomorrow’s EV drivers can make the switch with confidence.”