A recent survey by GARO, a Swedish EV charger manufacturer, has got me thinking. The data shows that UK EV drivers are willing to pay an extra £10-£20 per charge if it means shaving off 15 minutes from their wait and charging times. Honestly? Count me in. I’d gladly pay extra for quicker speeds—especially when on long road trips or tight schedules.
The regional breakdown is fascinating. In Cardiff, 55% of EV owners said they’d pay for faster charging, and in Northern Ireland, it’s 49%. But down in southwestern England, only 17% are on board with the idea. It’s interesting how attitudes vary based on location, isn’t it?
The stats don’t lie: most of the UK’s 60,000 public chargers offer slower speeds of just 3-8 kW, according to Zapmap. Only a small portion of these chargers support the rapid speeds we all dream of when we’re running late and the battery’s low.
Conor Charnley, GARO’s UK E-mobility Manager, hit the nail on the head when he said, “If we are to truly overcome range anxiety in the mass transition towards EVs, we need to ensure that we are not just expanding infrastructure but doing so with solutions that enable rapid and convenient charging.”
Another standout finding? Most EV drivers (82%) would prefer to use renewable energy for charging. Among younger drivers, this figure jumps to 89% for ages 17-24 and 92% for those 25-34. As someone who’s passionate about green energy, it’s refreshing to see this commitment to sustainability among the next generation.
But here’s the big question: Is the UK ready to deliver on these demands? Rapid chargers cost more to install and maintain, but the willingness to pay for better speeds proves there’s a market.
Personally, I think it’s time we start seeing EV infrastructure that’s faster, more reliable, and powered by renewables. What do you think? Would you pay extra for quicker charging? Let’s discuss!
Hell no! Rapid and Ultra-Rapid charging prices are already a total rip-off in the UK. Convenience charging is the way forward. Lower the prices and more people will be willing to use them more frequently. Myself and most people I speak to on forums all avoid charging near motorways, and rather opt for slower destination charges. Top up just enough to get you to your destination (if topping up is even needed), and rather slow charge for way way cheaper will the car is going to be stationary anyways.
Graeme, I couldn’t agree more. Motorway charging prices are exorbitant! but again we pay the “convenience tax”. It’s frustrating to see companies like Tesla offering incredibly competitive prices for their chargers while charging providers like BP and Gridserve charge premium rates for their services. These high costs could potentially hinder the adoption of electric vehicles.
If you need to charge often at Rapid/Ultra-Rapid Chargers, it’s a no-brainer to subscribe to Tesla (even as a non-Tesla owner) at the moment. I was the other day at a service station next to the motorway. Tesla Superchargers right next to Gridserve chargers. Gridserve pricing was £0.79/kWh and right next to them was Tesla with £0.53/kWh for non-Tesla owners. So it’s not about the location or grid power – but rather just greedy companies. Everyone should vote with their wallet, and charge elsewhere. 🙂
Wow, that’s significantly cheaper! I can’t wait to try out the new V4 chargers—this will allow the Ioniq 6 and other vehicles with 800V architecture to charge much faster while saving even more money!