The European car parc will include more than 2.9 million plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) by 2020, supported by over 4.1 million EV charging stations, according to research by Navigant. The research and consulting company expects Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Italy to account for more than 60% of EV supply equipment, made up primarily of commercial rather than domestic charge points.

In the UK, there are currently around 7,500 publicly-accessible EV chargers available, and the cost to install one rapid charger is around £38,000 – £49,000 (US$65,000 – US$84,000), says EV charging infrastructure supplier, Elektromotive. However, Calvey Taylor-Haw, the company’s Chief Executive, believes the UK still has a long way to go before there is a satisfactory level of infrastructure. Taylor-Haw founded Elektromotive in 2003, and lays claim to heading up the longest established provider of EV infrastructure in the UK. Taylor-Haw spoke to Automotive World about EV charging infrastructure and the challenges facing the global EV market….