£300m EV infrastructure investment welcomed to assist with smooth EV deliveries
The number of EV chargers in the UK has doubled in the last 3 years, yet the number of EVs we deliver has increased by 700% since 2019, confirming the increased adoption of EVs. As more fleets and consumers convert to EVs, and the government moves toward their zero emission goals, more improvement in the charging network is urgently needed.
Paul Langton, a driver for Engineius comments: “I like EVs and owned one myself three years ago which I used for local driving. I fitted my life around charging points, so if I’m delivering an EV a short distance away, it is relatively straight-forward. But, if I need to recharge along the way, finding a charging station close to the customer’s house can be difficult, which can lead to delays resulting in both a poor end-user experience and a less favourable first impression of EVs.”
Ofgem reports that people are still put off buying EVs due to a lack of charging points near their home. Moreover, Engineius reports charging problems are compounded by a lack of charging infrastructure at prep sites. In practice, this means EVs often begin their delivery journey with a low level of charge.
Calum Slowther, commercial director for Engineius explains: “Currently the cost saving to the Fleet Manager on fuel with an EV delivery has been replaced by labour time. The ultra fast chargers being installed will significantly reduce the cost of EV deliveries to customers and offer the whole benefit of an EV to the fleet”.
Range anxiety is also particularly bad in vehicle movement as journeys tend to be long. A driver often starts their journey in a partially charged EV, and is aware that outside factors such as the weather and outside temperature can have an impact on the specified range. Communicating with the customer during the delivery is key to managing expectations as the unpredictability of the time taken to recharge en-route is far removed from refueling an ICE vehicle.
Slowther enthuses: “Our goal at Engineius is to make vehicle movement as easy, cost effective and with the lowest emissions possible. We are seeing a significant increase in the number of EVs we deliver, so therefore welcome the investment for a further 3550 EV charging points”.
At Engineius, we have developed a new innovative approach to deliver greater productivity within the vehicle movement industry. These efficiencies are achieved in the main through a totally customer focussed ethos that resonates throughout the Engineius business and the latest technology delivered through a leading-edge platform and accompanying app.
Our service is being utilised across many different automotive sectors including corporate fleets, SMR, rental, leasing, dealerships, auction, remarketing and breakdown services. Engineius’ clients benefit from a network of over 500 fully trained drivers and agents, managing thousands of vehicle movements every month with comprehensive coverage to all corners of the UK.