- Vauxhall has teamed up with carwow for the Electric Streets of Britain programme
- The partnership with carwow provides valuable insights into consumer attitudes towards electric vehicle adoption
- Data from carwow shows that 15% of car enquiries are for electric vehicles
- Vauxhall’s Electric Streets of Britain programme aims to accelerate the installation of on-street charging points
- According to Vauxhall, 72% of UK councils have no strategy for residential on-street charging
- About 80% of EV charging occurs at home, leaving residents without off-street parking reliant on public charging
- Vauxhall launched ElectricStreets.co.uk to support households without driveways
- Register your street at http://electricstreets.co.uk/
Vauxhall has partnered with carwow, an online car marketplace, as part of its ongoing Electric Streets of Britain programme. By utilizing carwow’s extensive database, Vauxhall can work with local councils to identify areas of high interest in electric vehicles (EVs) across the country. This collaboration will help prioritize the installation of on-street charge points in those areas.
Data from carwow reveals that 15% of car enquiries this year have been for EVs, based on an analysis of over 320,000 car enquiries in 2023. This highlights the growing interest in EVs as the UK government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. However, the current gap between EV interest and the availability of charging infrastructure indicates the need for significant growth in the UK’s charging network.
Last month, over 45,000 EVs were registered in the UK, accounting for a peak of 17% of the new car market. In contrast, only 1,432 public EV charging devices were added to the ZapMap database during the same period.
The Electric Streets of Britain programme by Vauxhall aims to address the lack of on-street charging infrastructure in the UK, which poses a significant obstacle for many motorists. Research shows that more than 70% of UK councils have no published strategy for residential on-street charging, and 69% of local authorities have yet to install any on-street chargers.
The majority of EV charging, approximately 80%, occurs at home due to its cost-effectiveness and convenience. However, around 40% of UK households, and over 60% in urban areas, do not have access to off-street parking. This means that residents in these areas heavily rely on public charging facilities.
Vauxhall’s Managing Director, James Taylor, emphasized the importance of assisting local authorities in installing charging infrastructure to support the increasing number of EVs on the road. To facilitate this, Vauxhall has launched the Electric Streets website (ElectricStreets.co.uk), allowing the public to register their charging needs.
Carwow’s Commercial Director, Sepi Arani, stressed the collective effort needed to install more charging points in the right locations to ensure a smooth transition to electric vehicles. This collaboration aims to avoid potential infrastructure bottlenecks that could hinder the adoption of EVs and help the UK meet its net-zero targets.
Vauxhall plans to offer fully electric versions of all its car and van models from 2024. The company is currently the top-selling electric van manufacturer in the UK and has transformed its Ellesmere Port plant into Stellantis’ first facility dedicated to electric models.
1Data provided to Vauxhall by carwow – January 2023 to September 2023, 321,758 new car enquiries made through carwow.co.uk by fuel type.
2Vauxhall’s Freedom of Information research took place between May – July 2023, issued to 414 councils across the United Kingdom.
3Energy Saving Trust: Charging Electric Vehicles
4TfL Feasibility Study into Electric Vehicle Uptake and the Impacts of Associated Infrastructure (Source: TfL Electric Vehicle Charging Study)
5Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, September 2023
6Zapmap EV charging statistics 2023 https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/how-many-charging-points