Qualitative Study in United Kingdom on Existing Electric Vehicle Charging Network Provided the Capital Cost of a Conventional Electric Vehicle Chargepoint as $14,400 per Chargepoint.

One of the key requirements for the shift to Electric Vehicles (EV) is the gradual replacement of the network of gas stations with charging infrastructure. This study reflects findings gathered from a combination of research from 2005 to 2020 and explored the barriers preventing the growth and effective operation of the United Kingdom’s EV charging infrastructure network. Specifically, the study identified 19 key barriers across four themes: 

1. Poorly defined and inadequately resourced role of the public sector,
2. Costly high-power charging infrastructure installations,
3. Difficulty meeting user needs in commercially unattractive locations,
4. Market competition harming the EV driver experience.

Each identified barrier was assigned an impact score and ranked in descending order based on its negative impact on the growth and effective operation of the United Kingdom’s charging network, with the top five barriers selected. Similarly, the study proposed 21 different policy solutions aimed at addressing each identified barrier, scored against its likely cost and complexity, and identified the ten highest-scoring solutions. The study also provided capital and user cost estimates based on previous funding sources and investments.

Cost estimations are based on costs observed in previous projects and industry-sourced costs:

• Conventional 11 kW EV chargepoint cost: £11,000 (~$14,400) per chargepoint, including a 22p/kWh usage tariff and grid connection.
• Rapid charger installation cost: £25,000-30,000 (~$32,700-39,300), excluding grid reinforcement costs. For a rapid charging hub with approximately 20 chargepoints, the total infrastructure costs are estimated to be around £600,000 ($784,500).
• EV refuel rate per vehicle: £12 (~$16) per vehicle, assuming a 40 kWh charge at 30p/kWh.