Is the 'out of control' cost of public charging putting Scots off EVs?

The cost of public EV charging in Scotland is “out of control”, according to a new survey.

The Scottish Government has committed to reducing transport carbon emissions by 56 per cent by 2030 and completely by 2045.

On top of this the new UK Government has also committed to bringing forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 to 2030, which could remove all fossil fuel cars from Scottish roads by 2045.

However, as of March this year less than 1.4 per cent of all privately registered cars in Scotland were fully electric.

A new survey suggests the cost and inaccessibility of the public EV (electric vehicle) charging network Scotland could be the reason why.

Three quarters of EV drivers charge their cars at home because it costs less and is more convenient - however this is not an option available to everyone.

The 2021 Scottish Household Condition Survey found half of Scotland’s households are not suitable for home charging - 37 per cent live in flats and 21 per cent live in terraced houses.

This leads to 38 per cent of EV drivers not being able to charge their cars at home, and they say the cost of running an EV is higher than expected, and at times even more expensive than running a petrol or diesel car.

One driver said: “If I had to rely on public charging, I’d sell the car and get something else.

“Public charging is out of control for cost.

“It takes too long and is very inconvenient.”

The survey, which was carried out by YouGov for Consumer Scotland and involved over 750 drivers who either have an EV or are thinking of getting one, also found four in 10 think there are not enough public charging points for them to use.

A further 46 per cent said these charging points are also typically not in good working order, meaning there is “significant anxiety” about being able to charge cars while out and about.

Another driver told the survey: “Charging is the big negative.

“We’ve had a full electric car for five and a half years and it is still very difficult and inconvenient to take it on long journeys.

“We thought the amount of chargers and reliability would have improved much more in this time.”

Other issues highlighted in the survey include a disparity between the advertised range and battery life of EVs compared to the real life experience, and a lack of maintenance and repair infrastructure for EVs.

Eleanor Mullan, head of analysis for Consumer Scotland, said: “Our research shows EVs are attractive due to the environmental benefits and they can also offer significant benefits around convenience and cheaper running costs.

“We found EV drivers in Scotland are very positive about their vehicles.

“However, they highlighted a number of concerns including the cost and accessibility of the public charging infrastructure available in Scotland which will have a larger impact on those without access to at-home charging.”

Consumer Scotland says there now needs to be significant improvements to the public charging network, particularly in areas with lots of flats, and improved information on EV performance.

Transport Scotland has been approached for comment.