Challenges and progress in the UK in 2023: annual Electric Vehicle Driver Survey

Shell Recharge has just revealed the results of the annual Electric Vehicle Driver Survey for 2023. Interviews were conducted with 25,000 EV drivers across the UK, as well as in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. While EV uptake is surging across the board, UK respondents highlight some specific challenges and corresponding business opportunities.

In the UK, interviews with almost five thousand EV drivers showed that 72% of EV drivers in the UK have acquired their vehicles in the last two years. The UK market shows a lot of promise for a wider EV-related energy ecosystem, and UK drivers demonstrate a lot of willingness to buy into energy services that support both their EV usage and national renewable power infrastructure.

Electric Vehicle Driver Survey for 2023 shows a greater reliance on home charge points for electric cars in the UK at 67 %, while only 56% of EV drivers in Western Europe rely on a private home charge point. EV drivers in the UK are also keener on convenience features for future innovation, with 47% saying they are interested in Plug & Charge and 42% saying they were interested in wireless charging. In the rest of Western Europe, this was marked at 39% and 33%, respectively.

The survey indicates that when people get an electric car, they become more aware of their overall energy usage and are keen on EV-specific energy offers. 66% of UK drivers have become more aware of their home energy usage since they started driving electric, 70% have become more aware of their home energy tariff, and 86 % have said they would be interested in a dedicated EV home energy tariff if it offered additional financial benefits while 69% felt the same way if a home energy tariff offered greater convenience.

In terms of public charging offers, it becomes clear from the survey that the current ecosystem of charging cards in the UK is still too complex. Although the number of charge cards owned by UK drivers has reduced over the last two years, 64% of UK drivers still use four or more EV-related apps, compared to the other countries surveyed, where the majority only use three EV-related apps.

EV drivers in the UK generally find public charge point availability and user experience the biggest challenges – particularly at retail and entertainment destinations. This is also where the UK stands out. On average, across the countries surveyed, 57% of drivers said they would visit destinations more frequently if they had charge points – but in the UK, 74% of EV drivers feel this way. This is a clear message to UK destinations hoping to attract more customers.

Overall, the Electric Vehicle Driver Survey 2023 showed that EV drivers worry far less than they used to about the upfront costs of EVs and are becoming more relaxed about how frequently and promptly they charge, aware that they don’t necessarily need to charge their cars daily. There is also a greater awareness that EV ownership is part of a broader sustainable lifestyle. EV drivers in the UK are interested in the wider energy ecosystem with energy services that support both their car usage and national renewable power infrastructure.

The UK is on a path to cleaner vehicles, but there is still work to be done. Growing EV adoption has also meant that the need for EV education is keener than ever. The Electric Vehicle Driver Survey highlights those areas which offer the greatest business opportunities in electric car mobility while also providing a comprehensive and reliable reflection of the state of play for EV drivers through all aspects of their driving experience.

The Electric Vehicle Driver Survey can be accessed here for further information.

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