EV survey highlights charging demand

Zap-Map has released the most comprehensive survey of electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the country.

Its annual EV Charging Survey, which was conducted in September 2022, took responses from more than 4,300 Zap-Map users.

It revealed that although 84% of respondents have a home charger, the vast majority of EV drivers (90%) continue to use the UK’s public charging networks on a regular basis. In fact, the findings of the survey show that most use the public network on a more or less monthly basis, with some using it much more frequently and others less so.

The survey also found a significant increase in usage of EV charging hubs, partly due to the number of longer-range EVs now available. Indeed, hubs such as these are now the third most popular location type after supermarket car parks and motorway service stations, which continue to be the two most popular charging locations.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO at Zap-Map, said: “With the number of pure-electric cars on UK roads now over 600,000, the country needs a public charging network able to cope with a diverse range of needs. As EV adoption accelerates and enters a more mainstream demographic, how EV drivers without a home charger go about charging their car will be a key question over the coming year and beyond.

“Although the survey currently shows that more than 80% currently have a home charger, the need for on-street and other local charging provision is only going to become more pressing.”