Home-charging is major barrier to EV adoption, study finds

Nearly 40% of UK drivers say they would buy an electric car if they could charge it at home, according to a study from IPSOS.

The study, which interviewed close to 4000 drivers who park on the street around the UK, revealed that 39% of drivers UK-wide, and 54% of drivers in London, would switch to an EV if they didn’t have to rely exclusively on public charging facilities. However, it is estimated that a third of UK drivers don’t have access to off-street or private parking facilities.

To address this demand, EV charging specialist Trojan Energy is rolling out the installation of on-street chargers for EV users who don’t have access to off-street parking.

Trojan AON can be installed on the street outside a customer’s property and connects to the home’s electricity supply. Customers typically charge their cars overnight when electricity rates are cheapest, marking a big potential cost saving compared to using public charging infrastructure.

In 2022, the company received £9 million of investment to double its workforce and ramp up the roll-out of installations.

Trojan Energy consulted with Disability Rights UK to design an on-street charger that does not impact pedestrians or negatively impact the functionality or aesthetic of the street. Its unique ‘flat and flush’ design negates the need for additional street furniture by hiding chargers out of sight under the pavement. The charge point is accessed with a removable lance to connect and charge the EV.

Aside from issues with accessing charging at their home, 58% of drivers surveyed by IPSOS also said that electric car prices remain one of the biggest challenges to owning an EV.

Ian Mackenzie, CEO, Trojan Energy said: “With more than 10 million car owners in Britain lacking access to off-street parking, these findings prove two things – that future EV owners want to be able to charge on their doorstep and that cost-savings of at-home charging are equally important. Both, however, are currently unavailable to anyone without a driveway.

“Nearly half of those surveyed said they could park directly outside their home at least three times a week, with a further 81% saying they could do so at least once a week. This presents an enormous opportunity to impact how we habitually charge our electric cars as a society.

“Our Trojan AON charger is a genuine game-changer that enables consumers to charge EVs at home with the convenience of using their own home electrical supply, which is significantly cheaper than using current public charging resources.

“This solves the unfair, imbalanced, two-speed transition to electric vehicles by making EV charging accessible for everyone and every home whether they have a driveway or not. This innovation will save consumers time and money as we all actively contribute to securing a more sustainable future.”