Charging towards the future

Will you make the shift to an electric vehicle, or are you in the ‘diesel til I die’ camp? Emma Penny looks at EVs and what Countryside Alliance members think about the topic in this article from My Countryside magazine.

Many will have breathed a sigh of relief when the Prime Minister announced a five-year delay on banning the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, originally due to come into force in 2030. Despite the fact an electric vehicle (EV) is registered every 60 seconds, Rishi Sunak cited challenges with the upfront cost, practicalities and charging infrastructure.

Those concerns are echoed in a recent Countryside Alliance member survey, conducted ahead of the PM’s announcement. More than 90 percent of the 533 respondents stated that they do not own or lease an EV, 60 percent opposed the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, and 25 percent said they opposed it unless it were extended by an additional 10 years. 

Of the nine percent of respondents who do have an EV, most – 60 percent – specified environmental benefits as their motivation for buying one. About half specified lower running costs, 39 percent said they were anticipating the 2030 ban, and 37 percent bought them due to their tax advantages.

EVs can be cheaper to fuel, but there is a trade-off in terms of time sacrifice, an issue highlighted by 43 percent of respondents. Chargepoint provider Pod-Point says a typical 60kWh battery EV can take about eight hours to charge from empty to full at a 7kWH (typically home) charging point, but it would take about 30 minutes using a 150kWh rapid charger. 

According to car market specialist Parkers, charging at home is the cheapest option, costing up to 41p/kWh, plus installation cost and a monthly subscription. Charging at a destination may cost anything up to 60p/kWh plus a connection fee or monthly charge to a service provider such as Zapmap. Charging during a journey at a fast charger can be an expensive option, at up to 77p/kWh.

Parkers says an Audi Q4 E-Tron with a 55kWh battery could cost £6.60 to fuel at home and up to £37.95 at a fast charger, with a full charge giving a 239 mile range. About 40 percent of respondents thought EV range was inadequate, but it can also vary widely, depending on weather, using power for lights and heaters or if you are towing. Zapmap gives the Q4 a ‘real world’ range of 170 miles.

Munro, a Scottish EV manufacturer due to start commercial production of its tough 4x4 soon, is open about range capabilities. Its 280kW electric motor/82kWh battery Performance MK_1 model can pull up to 3.5t – a rarity for EVs at present – and has a range of up to 190 miles in optimal conditions, but this falls to 85 miles when towing.

In the survey, 48 percent of respondents cited the lack of charging infrastructure as an issue, and ‘range anxiety’ is a phenomenon with EVs, particularly in rural areas, where journeys are longer and charging points few and far between. Recent Defra stats show someone living in a rural area will drive an average of 6,449 miles/year, compared with urban dwellers who drive only 3,661 miles. However, inner London has one publicly available charging point for every 0.3 miles of road, but in rural areas, there is one charger for every 9.5 miles, according to the County Councils Network.

“We are worried that the move to EVs is like broadband all over again, with rural areas being left behind,” says Countryside Alliance Director of Policy, Sarah Lee. “We have real concerns about the charging network and grid capacity, particularly if people want to speed up charging and use superchargers. The overhead cables we see in villages and rural areas won’t be able to cope with a shift to more EVs. Government needs to look at the gaps in grid capacity and cap them.”

Taking the leap

Some businesses have chosen to install EV charging points, such as Countryside Alliance Awards Scottish winner The Buccleuch Arms. It installed two about a year ago, says owner Billy Hamilton. 

“The installation didn’t cost us anything, but we pay £150 per month to rent the chargers, and 12 percent of any electric ‘sales’ go back to the provider. We have a few guests and locals who use them, but it is sporadic. It’s costing me money.”

Guests have provided interesting insight on EV use, he says. “Two years ago, a group from the south asked where our charging points were. When they returned this year and I asked where their EVs were, they said they had all brought their ‘other’ cars as they didn’t want to keep stopping on the journey to recharge!”

Despite their growing popularity, EVs and their infrastructure need more investment to inspire confidence, particularly for rural drivers. With more used EVs coming on the market now, there is at least a less costly option than buying new, but for anyone thinking of an alternative, perhaps a hybrid might be a better option for now.