Businesses are being urged to “lead by example” as new research details the continued barriers to workplace electric vehicle (EV) charging.
EVBox’s annual Mobility Monitor found that of 3,600 people surveyed across six countries – the Netherlands, UK, Germany, France, Belgium and Norway – workplace charging and home charging are the two main forms of topping up, at 40% and 72% respectively.
However, for those that do charge at work there are only enough places to charge 29% of the time, with 20% also wanting to see faster chargers installed. Additionally, 20% of people don’t have access to workplace charging at all.
For the UK specifically, 43% of those surveyed said they charge at work, with Norway having the lowest proportion of workplace charging at 27% and The Netherlands the highest at 56%.
Kristof Vereenooghe, president and CEO of EVBox, said the research shows that the provision of charging infrastructure at workplaces “is key to accelerating the adoption of electric mobility in Europe”.
“Businesses have the chance to lead by example by electrifying their fleets and encouraging their employees to use electric vehicles,” Vereenooghe added.
The UK comes top of the countries when it comes to having the largest share of companies that offer EVs in their business plans at 27%, with France bottom of the list at 16%. This comes as the report also found that 47% of those surveyed are looking for employers to offer EVs as company cars, rising to 52% in the UK.
Last year, Octopus Electric Vehicles launched a bundle for fleet operators in a bid to assist them in making the switch to offering EVs, partnering Ohme, Alfen and FLEETCOR to do so. This bundle provided advice on selecting the right vehicle, specialist finance and servicing rates, an overview of charging data via the Ohme Fleet Fashboard, full data integration with FLEETCOR’s Allstar One Electric reports and a dedicated EV support line.
Likewise, last year EDF secured a contract with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to help accelerate public sector fleets, supporting public sector bodies in developing the infrastructure needed to enable the widespread use of EVs.
EVBox’s report pointed to policies supporting the electrification of transport such as the UK’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, adding that citizens are now expecting both government and private companies to take steps to address environmental issues.
The report found that around two out of five of those surveyed are working for a company that already has a sustainable vision in place, with The Netherlands in first place at 42%, followed by Norway at 41% and the UK at 39%.