UK in Europe's top three best-prepared countries for electric vehicles (EVs)

The UK is one of the most prepared countries in Europe for a move to electric vehicles (EVs), according to LeasePlan’s 2020 EV Readiness Index.

How is a country's EV readiness measured?

The EV Readiness index focuses on four areas of EV preparations in each country, including:

The maturity of EV charging infrastructure
The number of EV registrations
Government incentives for EV drivers
LeasePlan's local experience with EVs

Most of the 22 countries included in the index improved their preparedness since the 2019 index.

How has the UK prepared for electric vehicles?

The UK is one of several countries to offer monetised government incentives to EV drivers, encouraging more people to purchase an EV the next time they're in the market. In fact, the report puts the UK top for government incentives, equalled only by Austria.

The UK's scheme involves charging a reduced level of vehicle tax for owners of EVs.

On average, EV drivers in Europe pay 40% less in tax compared to drivers using Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. The UK's EV tax incentives have proven a huge draw for many drivers - more than 48,000 of them in the first three quarters of 2019.

Another positive sign for EV drivers in the UK has been the recent increase in both fast and rapid, which use more power, charging stations.

The number of fast charging spots increased by 27% between 2018 and 2019, while 43% additional rapid chargers were added, bringing the grand total to 24,445.

Why is preparation for EVs so important?

Road transport accounts for 20% of Europe's CO2 emissions.

With the UK government committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% between 2023 and 2027 - and a ban on new diesel and petrol cars from 2035 (updated 4 February 2020) - drivers must have an alternative, low-carbon travel options.

Having the infrastructure to support a growing EV population will help the UK's push towards greater sustainability.

LeasePlan itself is a founding partner of the Climate Group's EV100 initiative, and it aims to achieve net zero emissions across its total fleet by 2030.

Which countries were included?

The whitepaper assessed the EV readiness of: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

How will being prepared for EVs benefit my fleet?

The results of the 2020 EV Readiness Index are promising for fleet managers looking to run a greener and more cost-efficient fleet.

Fuel costs account for one third of average fleet spends, and as fuel prices continue to rise, having an alternative source of energy for your fleet could significantly reduce costs.

British Gas carried out some research and found that it costs an average of £4 to charge an average EV for a 100-mile journey, compared to around £14 in petrol for a similarly sized family hatchback. The energy supplier also says they're cheaper to service, with EVs costing £120 to £150, compared to more than £200 for a petrol equivalent.

Combine an ever-expanding infrastructure, ambitious government plans and manufacturers adding ever more EVs to their line-ups, and it looks like an all-electric fleet is only going to become more feasible.

Although our EV Readiness Index shows that electric driving is becoming a viable option in an increasing number of countries, we still have a long way to go before we get everyone driving electric. Millions of European's still live in countries where public charging infrastructure is woefully inadequate or in which they pay more taxation than drivers of fossil fuel cars. Transitioning to electric is one of the simplest things we can all do to help tackle climate change and everyone should be able to afford to go green. Policymakers must therefore step up and continue to invest in public charging infrastructure and to incentivize EV uptake until electric becomes the common sense choice for all drivers.

Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan

Notes :

The EV Readiness Index 2020 shows that the Netherlands, Norway and United Kingdom are now the best prepared countries in Europe for the electric vehicle transition.
Across Europe, 5.7% of all newly registered vehicles are electric. The number of EV registrations increased with, on average, 60% between 2018 and 2019. The countries with highest increase are Luxembourg (+154%), Ireland (+127%) and the Netherlands (+120%).
Across Europe, there was a 73% increase in public charging stations. There are over 4,000 fast charging locations across the countries surveyed.
In 2019, more countries introduced or prolonged a wide range of government incentives for EV. This is a key requirement for stimulating EV uptake. On average, EV drivers are taxed 60% of what Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) drivers pay in taxation. In four markets (Austria, Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom), EVs are fully exempt from driver taxation. In Romania and Slovakia, EV drivers actually pay more taxation than those driving ICEs.
The 22 countries included in the LeasePlan EV Readiness Index 2020 are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
LeasePlan has committed itself to achieving net zero emissions from its total fleet by 2030. LeasePlan is also a founding partner of The Climate Group's EV100 initiative, a global business initiative designed to fast-track the uptake of EVs and infrastructure among the world's leading corporations.

The LeasePlan EV Readiness Index 2020 is released ahead of LeasePlan's participation in the 50th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, taking place from 21st until the 25th of January in Davos, Switzerland.

Published at 1 April 2022

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1 April 2022