UK, more charging points than petrol stations by 2020
Mobility — di Rudi Bressa
While the number of petrol stations falls, the number of charging points for electric cars is rising. “We are already at the tipping point.”.
UK, more charging points than petrol stations by 2020
While the number of petrol stations falls, the number of charging points for electric cars is rising. “We are already at the tipping point.”.
The revolution has already begun, at least in the United Kingdom. And by 2020 there will be more charging points for electric cars than petrol stations. And it is numbers, not some industry forecast, that confirm it.
According to data released by Go Ultra Low, in the first six months of 2016 new electric car registrations grew by 31.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2015, recording 19,252 new registrations. That is, in practice, 10 new electric cars a day.
More than 2,000 PiCG eligible cars sold in July - up 39% vs LY. See more at our stats page - goo.gl/8WyzaA
Petrol stations falling, charging points rising
Then comes the comparison between petrol pumps and electric charging points: in the space of 40 years, 75 per cent of petrol stations have closed, while charging points have grown to more than 4,100 units. According to a calculation carried out by Nissan, by 2020 they will grow to 8,201 units, effectively overtaking fuel stations (which will instead record a decline to 7,826 stations).
"We are convinced that we are already at the tipping point for the large-scale uptake of electric vehicles", Edward Jones, director of the electric division at Nissan, comments in a statement. "With electric vehicle sales taking off, charging infrastructure is growing in step."
Thanks in part to the British Government's investments in electric mobility, today every driver who owns an electric car has access to a charging point every 32 kilometres, across the entire English motorway network. More than 90 per cent of these offer rapid charging.
"I am delighted to see so many motorists choosing the benefits of cleaner, greener vehicles that are also cheaper to run," said John Hayes, the UK's Transport Minister, in an official statement. "The low-emission sector has created more than 18,000 jobs in the United Kingdom and is a fundamental pillar on our path towards a low-carbon, high-technology, high-capability economy. We want to make the United Kingdom a world leader in the rollout of electric vehicles, to ensure that by 2050 every car and van on our roads is a zero-emission vehicle."