EV News Round-Up: Navigating Cold Weather Charging & The King's EV Charging Plans

According to a report published last week by net-zero consultants Field Dynamics gauging current and predicted EV demands, the UK will need to install a total of 450,000 chargers onto the public network to meet demand by 2035.

Taking into account the annual mileage of every car and van registered in the UK over recent years, the firm cross-referenced this data with the energy needed to fuel EV equivalents to reach this figure.

The report stated that a significant portion of this demand would likely be from on-street households, as many EV drivers would remain reliant on the availability of public charging infrastructure.

Despite this obvious demand being reported across the board, however, consistent charger use is not always guaranteed. According to ZapMap’s reports, the average time chargers spend in use is sitting at just 15% at the time of writing.

There are a few obvious reasons for this, of course, including the slight dip in EV sales at the end of 2024 leading to perhaps a slight over-delivery of our available infrastructure, and, more broadly, our network being planned in expectation for a future boom supported by ICE sales bans.

In short, therefore, these numbers don’t weaken the opportunity for charge point operators. They do, however, show the importance of using data to target high-traffic areas to ensure the maximum number of drivers are using your charge points.

And on top of this, new industry developments like e-Roaming agreements that allow charge point operators to advertise their networks on other popular mapping systems will be essential in making chargers more accessible - and more profitable as a result.

Earlier last week, equity and real estate firm Charles Irvine announced a venture into the EV charging market, pledging £100 million to fund an EV charging platform set to target roadside retail and EV charging centres.

This announcement came alongside news that the Sainsbury’s group was also entering the market, offering ultra-rapid EV charging at their supermarket locations. Their EV charging branch, named ‘Smart Charge’ is said to be the first and only EV charging business to be fully owned and managed by a UK supermarket.

These developments seem inevitable, given market trends dictating that areas with long dwell times and consumer footfall will be key locations for drivers refuelling their EVs on the go.

Still, the surge in new players entering the market serves to underline what to many is already clear; the EV charging opportunity. With the ability to turn static car parks into dynamic investments, the necessity to partner with a back-office software provider to help monetise prime charging sites will only become clearer to the majority of enterprises as adoption increases.

Earlier last week, we announced our partnership to join the Octopus Electroverse network in a deal that gives our drivers freedom to roam across the Electroverse using the Clenergy EV app or card. Additionally, charge point operators partnered with Clenergy EV will now be able to advertise their chargers on a network which boasts one in three UK drivers, meaning a huge increase in visibility and potential charger usage.

The Independent published an article debunking a common misconception around EV performance in colder weather, with the latest Norwegian breakdown statistics citing that EVs are less likely to underperform in cold weather than their ICE equivalents. Data from Norwegian breakdown responders Viking showed that despite a world-leading 24% market share, only 13% of breakdowns they attend were for electric vehicles.

Despite these encouraging statistics, it is still true that cold weather alters the performance of the average EV. Batteries, for example, need to be at a minimum temperature to charge at fast charging stations, and once charged, the range can decrease from between 10-36%.

However, the majority of short distances can be unaffected by taking simple steps such as preheating cars before setting off. According to Edmund King, president of the AA: “EV drivers should consider keeping their cars plugged in overnight and pre-conditioning the car, which in many models can be done via an app from the comfort of your own home.”

King added, however, that the organisation has not seen an increase in breakdowns due to EVs being out of charge.”

In lighter news last week, EV convert King Charles saw a plan to install four EV charging stations at the grounds of Windsor Castle submitted - albeit without success at the moment.

The King (dubbed the ‘Green King’ by some in the motor press) owns a range of EVs used to carry out official duties, including an Aston Martin DB6, and a Tesla Model S. But plans to fit the castle with the chargers to boot are on hold pending a review by archeologists, with worries over plans impacting archeological remains at the site.

According to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council Archaeology officer Edwin Wood, “The area around the castle became the focus for settlement following the construction of the castle in the 11th century.”

“As such there is the potential for archaeology relating to the early development and construction of the castle and town of Windsor to survive.”

A spokesperson for the royal family added: “The application is submitted to support the wider sustainability strategy and decarbonisation of the estate.”

The local council are yet to decide on approval of the plans, but we’re hoping the King has considered his back-office management options for his small electric fleet. We’re already used by the Dutchy of Cornwall, after all, and could help save considerable electricity costs through charge scheduling features!

That’s all for our round-up of last week’s news across the EV industry; make sure to follow our spaces on social channels and across our website to keep up to date with what’s going on in the industry on a week to week basis.

And if you’re interested in making the EV switch and want to know how we can help make the process as easy as possible for you, feel free to fill out the contact form below and a member of our team will be in touch.