Looking at the UK EV (electric vehicle) sector in this week’s EV Roundup, charging platform Monta has commissioned a YouGov survey that shows that most EV drivers do not regret their decision to go electric. The company is also testing a new Virtual SolarCharging feature that uses an algorithm to align solar energy supply with EV charging demand.
The infrastructure rollout continues apace, with RAW Charging announcing new chargepoints at the ‘home of England Rugby’, Pennyhill Park. Meanwhile, Fastned has announced its first chargepoint infrastructure in the South West of England at Melksham, Wiltshire.
EV drivers will also be able to charge up for less from 1 October when the energy price cap will see the Standard Variable Tariff for domestic electricity consumption fall to 28p/kWh, smart charging company Ohme says.
Majority of UK EV drivers undeterred by rising costs
A YouGov survey commissioned by EV charging platform Monta has revealed that 58% of UK EV drivers have said they don’t regret owning an EV despite rising costs.
Only 23% of UK motorists said electricity price rises due to the energy crisis was putting them off owning an EV. Data released by the AA in September 2022 claimed that 63% of drivers were left uncertain by energy price hikes.
Alok Dubey, regional director at Monta said: “There is lots of negative information surrounding EV ownership – charge rage, range anxiety, and now potentially increased running costs through rising energy bills. The reality however, is that running an EV is much cheaper than running a petrol or diesel vehicle. And with new technology allowing EV owners to tap into Solar energy to charge their EVs, these costs can be reduced even further.”
However, almost half of UK drivers (45%) say that a lack of chargepoint infrastructure is a major barrier to them buying an EV.
Dubey comments that: “The UK government has been falling behind its targets to improve the public charge point infrastructure for some years now, and rumours of the deadline being extended only raise more questions amongst motorists about whether making the switch to EV is viable.”
The majority of EV owners prefer to purchase their vehicle outright (43%), but leasing (29%) and company schemes (11%) are also popular options. Almost half (47%) would be willing to pay for EV charging at their workplace, the survey revealed.
RAW energises England Rugby’s Pennyhill Park chargepoints and offers free charging
RAW Charging has announced that it has activated new EV chargers at Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa, the home of England Rugby.
Pennyhill Park is the latest site to have chargers installed and energised with five 22kW chargers and ten charging bays offering both cable and socketed charging.
Pennyhill Park is part of the Exclusive Collection, a group of independent country house hotels. RAW has already installed chargers at five Exclusive Collection venues across the UK, allowing 30 vehicles to charge across the portfolio simultaneously.
RAW has also built chargepoints for Merlin Entertainments, Greene King and National Trust as well as commercial property owners where RAW is developing brownfield land into Charge Yards including new developments in Bishop Auckland and Croydon.
Jason Simpson, CEO, RAW Charging, said: “As the Rugby World Cup kicks off in earnest, we are delighted to have energised our EV chargers at the home of England Rugby. Our chargers at Pennyhill Park, are a prime example of the service RAW can deliver to hotel owners. We have a fully funded, all inclusive, end-to-end process that is easy for hoteliers to work with and minimizes disruption to the hotel and maximises convenience for guests.”
RAW Charging also celebrated World EV day on 9 September by offering drivers the opportunity to charge for free across a variety of its sites including the McArthurGlen outlets in York, Bridgend, and the East Midlands, over 500 chargers at Greene King pubs across the UK and several hotels and spas under the Exclusive brand including Pennyhill Park.
RAW said it hoped to “further highlight the growing importance of affordable, reliable destination charging. By providing EV charging, businesses can attract new and existing EV-driving customers through word-of-mouth and third-party platforms.”
Jason Simpson, chief executive of RAW Charging, said: “For a second year in a row, we’d like to celebrate World EV Day by giving back to the EV drivers of the UK. Our partnerships with businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors show the importance of destination charging and we’d like to thank our customers at these venues by offering free charging on 9 September 2023.”
Monta beta tests Virtual SolarCharging feature for EVs
Monta is also testing a new Virtual SolarCharging feature that uses an algorithm to align solar energy supply with EV charging demand.
The company says it is easy to set up in five minutes and does not require modifying an existing solar or EV setup. According to a YouGov survey commissioned by Monta, one in ten UK EV Drivers (13%) have solar panels installed at home, giving them the ability to harness the energy generated from the sun to charge their EVs.
“With Virtual SolarCharge, homeowners won’t have to change anything about their existing solar or EV charge point setup. The feature is compatible with any solar panel hardware, takes five minutes to set up, and is completely free to use,” Monta says.
Alok Dubey, regional director at Monta said: “Most EV owners rely on the National Grid to charge their car, which can be costly and puts a strain on the grid and its infrastructure. EV owners can also face higher electricity bills which feeds into a wider debate about the cost efficiency of owning an EV.
“This is where solar panels come into play as a sustainable solution. By tapping into the energy generated from solar panels, EV homeowners can provide their own electricity and reduce their dependence on the National Grid. This helps to cut costs and increases energy independence and resilience.”
The company says the feature is currently in Beta Testing and will be released in the UK “in the Autumn”. The test programme allows EV drivers with solar panels to provide their panels’ peak output, declination, and azimuth (compass orientation) into the Monta app.
“The Monta SolarCharge algorithm then uses this information, along with current weather conditions, to accurately estimate the amount of solar energy they can generate to charge their EV,” Monta says.
Fastned launches ultra-rapid 300kW chargepoint site in Melksham
EV chargepoint operator Fastned has announced its first chargepoint infrastructure in the South West of England at Melksham, Wiltshire.
The site will initially feature six 300kW ultra-rapid charging bays with the capacity to expand to eight. It is based at Commerce Way, Melksham, just off the A350, near to amenities including a Travelodge..
Tom Hurst, UK country manager for Fastned said: “Drivers living in and visiting Melksham can now benefit from the UK’s best-rated EV charging station. This is our first site in the region and we look forward to welcoming drivers to our highly visible, easy-to-use ultra rapid charging site”.
Fastned now has 16 stations in the UK. The new station features Fastned’s solar canopies that help EV drivers to locate the site and stay dry while charging.
The Rt. Hon Michelle Donelan, MP for the Chippenham Constituency where Melksham is located, said: ‘The opening of Fastned’s first ultra-rapid EV charging station in our region is a leap towards sustainability, and this station is a vital addition to Melksham and Wiltshire, addressing the lack of charging infrastructure in our rural landscape.”
Fastned is also partnering with Newcastle International Airport to build an ultra-rapid chargepoint hub, and is part of the ChargeUK trade association launched in April. In 2022 the company received a €75 million (£65 million) investment from British multinational asset management firm Schroders Capital to expand its EV charging network.
October energy price cap decrease means EV drivers will save more says Ohme
EV drivers will be able to charge up for less from 1 October when the energy price cap will see the Standard Variable Tariff for domestic electricity consumption fall to 28p/kWh, Ohme says.
The smart charging company says EV drivers could save more by switching to a smart tariff, and that it is the only charger provider to work with both Octopus Intelligent and OVO Charge Anytime tariffs.
“During the cost of living crisis, EV drivers will no doubt welcome this drop in the standard domestic electricity tariff,” said Ohme chief executive David Watson. “But Ohme’s unique charger technology combined with a smart EV tariff means that they can make bigger savings and have greater control over their charging – software that no other EV charging company has.”
Ohme says that for an average driver covering 6,800 miles a year, “charging on a smart EV tariff in a typical EV would cost just £127.50 for a year’s worth of driving with Octopus Intelligent at 7.5p/kWh. At the new Standard Variable Tariff of 28p/kWh, that same annual mileage would cost £476. By comparison, the same mileage in an equivalent petrol car would cost a driver more than £1,110,” at a rate of £1.49 per litre.
Ohme’s smart chargers can connect with the national grid in real time and automatically adjust their charging for drivers to take advantage of all the times of low price charging with smart EV tariffs. Ohme also offers drivers the option to charge their car when renewable energy generation on the National Grid is at its highest, further lowering their CO2 impact.
Ohme is the official charger provider for Mercedes-Benz, Audi and the Volkswagen Group in the UK and Ireland and customers on the Motability scheme, the largest fleet operator in the UK.
