At the beginning of the year, as is happening in the rest of Europe, there is disturbing energy news from the United Kingdom:
Despite the UK wanting to end the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2030 and requiring all new cars and vans to have zero exhaust emissions from 2035. Electric car drivers in the UK are suffering as the cost of using a public “fast” charger on a pay-as-you-go tariff has risen 42% since May, according to data released on Monday.
With more electric vehicles hitting British roads in the coming years, the RAC motoring organization supports the call for lower VAT on electricity sold at public chargers. For, some sectors fear that the increased cost of charging electric vehicles will discourage consumer adoption.
We find that figures from RAC Charge Watch which is part of the RAC motoring organization show that it now costs electric vehicle drivers an average of 63.29 pence (72 cents) per kilowatt hour to charge their vehicle. This means that an 80% fast charge of a “typical family-sized electric car” with a 64 kWh battery costs, on average, £32.41 (about $34.87).
The RAC said the increase was due to “rising wholesale gas and electricity costs” and the use of “ultra-fast” chargers has also meant the average cost of charging has risen by 25%. A driver using only a fast or ultrafast charger on the public grid will now pay around 18 pence per kilometer for electricity, compared to 19 pence per kilometer for a petrol car and 21 pence per kilometer for a diesel car, provided it is driven at an average of 65 kilometers per liter.
Despite this, the RAC points out that many electric vehicle users charge most of the time at home, where electricity costs less. Thus, with the U.K. government’s Energy Price Guarantee coming into force imminently, the price per kilometer for an average-sized electric vehicle would be about 9 pence for charging at home, if driven reasonably efficiently. Thus, an 80% charge at home would cost £17.87.
According to the RAC’s electric vehicle spokesman, Simon Williams, “These figures clearly show that the drivers who use the fastest and ultra-fast public chargers the most are being hit the hardest.” But at the same time he remarks that for those who have already made the switch to an electric car or are thinking of doing so, charging away from home costs less than refueling a petrol or diesel car, although these figures show that the gap is narrowing as a result of huge increases in the cost of electricity.
With new electric vehicles expected in the next few years, the RAC is supporting calls for a reduction in the sales tax on electricity sales at public chargers in order to correct what it sees as an imbalance between public and private charging. The passage of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, should help prevent charging costs from soaring further, although drivers using public chargers unfairly pay 20% VAT, compared to home charging, where it is only 5%.
Despite the expected arrival of more electric cars this year, news like this makes us wonder if citizens will be aware of the current socio-economic situation, the recharging problems Tesla owners had over Christmas and the reduced cost of living.
Speaking to CNBC, Saxo Bank’s head of equity strategy, Peter Garnry stated that “the cost advantage of electric vehicles over gasoline vehicles” was “diminishing rapidly” in Europe and wondered “to what extent this will start to affect EV sales.”
Thus, the year has started with a rapid decline in waiting times for electric vehicle orders. According to a new study by Electrifying, the time for new electric car orders has fallen by 13.2% in the last three months, with motorists buying an electric vehicle in January having to wait an average of 28 weeks, compared with 35 weeks for orders placed in October.
Tesla is also known to have cars in stock at discounts of €7,000 after months of delivery delays, and experts say the delays are due to increased production and economic difficulties.
However, cost of living concerns are also weighing on demand as consumers delay major purchases. Coming just after photos emerged of huge queues at Tesla Superchargers in Britain over the Christmas period, with drivers forced to wait hours to charge their expensive electric cars while traveling to visit friends and family.
Tesla owner Elon Musk says wait times to buy an electric car have plummeted as drivers have paused purchases in the face of rising energy prices and broader cost-of-living concerns. This drop in demand has also corresponded with a gradual increase in component supply as production recovers following the pandemic and the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine.
All of this news is accompanied by emerging concerns that there are not enough public charging devices available and that the grid will not be able to cope with a surge in electricity demand from millions of battery-powered cars. Industry experts have advised the government to install more fast-charging devices to speed up recharging times, especially outside the capital and on freeway services, to facilitate long-distance journeys.
The over-concentration of recharging infrastructure in the capital causes a shortage in the rest of the territory. Currently, of the 36,752 public charging points available in the UK, 11,515 (31%) are installed in Greater London, compared to 1,106 in the North East. Thus, one central London borough has more charging points than six of Britain’s largest regional cities combined; Westminster, with almost 1,500 devices, has more than the 1,412 available in Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham.
To meet all the energy demand issues raised and the need for new jobs, the government has decided to take a major decision, opening the newspapers with this headline:
The British government approved the country’s first coal mine in decades, a project touted as a source of new jobs, but which has been criticized as a setback in efforts to control climate change.
While the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, recently spoke at the COP27 climate conference of the need to invest in renewables, he also said he is pushing to create jobs in areas of northern England that have been chosen by Conservatives in the hope of bringing economic growth.
The mine, near Whitehaven on England’s northwest coast, would supply coal to the British and foreign steel industry. The mine entrance and other facilities will be located on the site of a former chemical plant, while the mine itself will be mostly under the sea.
Critics have said that approving a new coal mine amid concerns about climate change would damage Britain’s reputation as a world leader on environmental issues. Once a major coal producer that fueled the Industrial Revolution, it peaked production in the early 20th century and fell by more than 90% in the last decade.
Thus, John Gummer, chairman of the British Committee on Climate Change, concludes that the decision “sends completely the wrong signal to other countries about the UK’s climate priorities“. In turn, Kate Willshaw, policy officer for Friends of the Lake District, an organization that works to preserve a neighboring area, said she expected local environmental groups to “launch a legal challenge” to the decision, which she called a “retrograde step.”
On the other hand, supporters have claimed that the mine would create good-paying jobs and help lead a revival of the area, which has fared relatively poorly in recent decades with the closure of coal mines and other industrial facilities. According to Mike Starkie, mayor of Copeland, “This is great for my community and will give my area a huge economic boost.” Also, supporters like Mr. Starkie have claimed that as long as the world needs coal, Britain could benefit from supplying it.
All of this closes by showing a final headline that makes us wonder, are citizens really aware of the global situation?
The UK new car market recorded its fifth consecutive month of growth in December, up 18.3% to 128,462 registrations, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
In December, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached their highest monthly market share at 32.9%, while in 2022 as a whole they accounted for 16.6% of registrations, overtaking diesel for the first time and becoming the second most popular powertrain after gasoline. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) saw their annual share decline to 6.3%, meaning that, combined, all plug-in vehicles accounted for 22.9% of new registrations in 2022, an all-time high, albeit a smaller increase in overall market share than recorded in previous years. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) also experienced growth, reaching a market share of 11.6% during the year. As a result, the average CO2 emissions of new cars fell by -6.9% to 111.4 g/km, again the lowest ever.
Are the citizens of Great Britain aware of the great contradiction and possible risk being posed?
While electric car sales continue to rise, returning to pre-COVID pandemic levels, taxes, and electricity prices continue to rise. The lack of electronic components and the energy crisis situation is forcing decisions that alter the European plans established in the climate conferences, reopening coal mines and fossil fuel power plants. All of this is seriously fuelled by the conflict in Ukraine, which increases economic instability and fuels commodity inflation.
Where are we heading, should the deployment of Evs be stopped, are we in an energy crisis situation, will Europe be able to maintain its commitment to the environment?
Pingback:US EV Charging Stations Market Trends - GREEN
Pingback:Electric vehicles banned in California - GREEN