5 Takeaways on Electric Car Charging from NewMotion Study

One of the common obstacles for potential EV drivers is uncertainty around how to charge. NewMotion, a Shell group company, has released a detailed report shining a light on consumer responses to EVs and charging infrastructure.

They interviewed over 2,000 UK drivers to understand exactly what the concerns, questions and attitudes to EVs and charging are.

The full report is definitely worth a download, but for ease of reference, we’ve summarised our key takeaways below.

A Summary of Buyer Profiles

💻 Excited Innovator

• 41% likely to purchase an EV in the next 5 years
• Tech enthusiast
• Well informed with EVs and charging infrastructure
• Higher trust in public charging networks
• More likely to drive on motorways

🍎 Confident Researchers

• 34% likely to purchase an EV in the next 5 years
• Most likely retired
• Trust official sources and they don’t get bogged down with information
• High attention to details

🔨 Practical Supporters

• 39% likely to purchase an EV in the next 5 years
• Prefers a bundle package
• Prioritise function over glamor
• Loves incentives i.e Government Incentives

Image Credit: New Motion

🌳 Passionate Environmentalists

• 47% likely to purchase an EV in the next 5 years
• Socially aware, and desire to make the world better
• Despite environmental commitments, they drive no less than the average motorist
• Committed to reducing their carbon footprint

😁 Happy Optimists

• 41% likely to purchase an EV in the next 5 years
• Usually has kids, and a family
• Safety is a priority
• Easily fitting into their lifestyle is important to them

📓 Responsible Organizers

• 27% likely to purchase an EV in the next 5 years
• Biggest incentive to switch to an EV would be a ban on petrol and diesel cars
• Financial factors play a major role
• Low EV and environmental awareness

Image Credit: New Motion

1. EV adopters have a range of motivations

The 6 unique buyer profiles, as shown above, all have different ideas on what’s important and how they become part of the solution.

Their pain points and reasons for buying an electric car are all quite different and as such they want different things from their EV solution. It’s definitely not a “one size fits all” approach.

• ‘Happy Optimists’ are primarily looking for safety and convenience.
• ‘Passionate Environmentalists’ are concerned with the environmental impact and the wider benefits for the planet.
• ‘Excited Innovators’ are interested in the technological advancements and being on the cutting edge of something new.

The key to mass-adoption is to help each buyer profile understand and appreciate how an electric car can enhance and benefit their lifestyle.

2. Dealerships still the “go-to option” for setting up home charge points

A common thread in the report was identifying where users are most likely to buy a home charge point (if at all).

Based on the findings, users are more likely to buy a home charge point from a dealership as part of a package. They trust the dealer to make an informed decision on their needs for their specific vehicle and to also obtain the best deal.

This fits in with the ‘Practical Supporter’ buyer profile who prioritises simplicity and functionality and is not as morally or technologically motivated as some of the other buyer profiles.

When considering charge points and electric cars, the ‘Practical Supporter’ expects a bundle package, where everything is included.

By choosing simplicity, the buyer is not interested in shopping around, but rather getting one well-informed cohesive package from an authorised dealer with no strings attached or nasty surprises.

3. Home charging costs are viewed as being too high

The NewMotion study created a 10-point checklist, which aims to help understand the key things buyers are interested in.

Across all buyer personas, one point was consistently met with low confidence. The price of charge points is still a significant barrier.

The solution to this problem is educating users on the fact that in the long-run, charging will be cheaper than staying with an ICE vehicle.

The way to communicate this is unique to the individual.

• The ‘Practical Supporter’ needs to be reassured that there are government subsidies driving costs down, that they can change their energy tariff to save money, and that a home charger allows them to monitor the progress of the charge.
• For ‘Passionate Environmentalists’, it is important to reassure them on the longevity of the charge point. They need to view it as an investment.
• ‘Responsible Organisers’ group has cost and functionality as their priority. They need reassurance in charge point longevity, while also being made aware of the long-term savings of charge points, such as charging during off-peak hours. Ultimately, EV infrastructure and pricing needs to improve for them to switch to an electric car.

If you want to learn more about the cost of charging, visit our How to Charge guide.

Image Credit: New Motion

4. Charging an Electric Vehicle is Convenient

Within New Motion’s checklist there are a few points that count towards the overall convenience of charging an electric car at home.

Across the buyer profiles there seems to be universal agreement (medium to high confidence) that charging an electric vehicle at home charge points is easy, reliable, robust and safe.

Our How to charge guide is a good primer to learn about all things related to this topic (at home and on the go).

5. Buyer Confidence in Home Charge Points Is Overall Very Good

Aside from “Cheap To Buy”, all of the aspects of home charge points below have either a medium or high degree of confidence from those surveyed.

In short, this illustrates that although home charge points are an additional outgoing (compared to ICE vehicles) the process and overall user experience is good, and getting better by the month.

This is mirrored in the surge of electric vehicle adoption in the UK. Due to subsidies, lower maintenance costs and cheaper batteries, electric vehicles are at a tipping point.

The better manufacturers, subscription platforms and dealers can answer any possible pain points with regard to charging in general, the more beneficial this will be for adoption rates in general.

Image Credit: New Motion

The elmo approach to charging

At elmo, we’re in a great position to create custom and individualised packages for our customers.

Whether they consider themselves as a ‘Passionate Environmentalist’, a ‘Happy Optimist’, a ‘Confident Researcher’ and everything in between, our approach is simple.

One convenient, flexible and accessible bundle customised to fit their individual needs.

With us, customers can customise their monthly mileage package, add the public charging add-on to connect to the UK’s largest public charging network, or add a home charging unit courtesy of Smart Home Charge and Ohme.

To learn more, visit our blog all about how to charge an electric car or browse our range of electric cars we are currently offering on subscription.