UK fuel bowsers still outnumber EV chargers

Britain’s battle of the bowser is still being won by internal combustion power despite recent counter-claims by the plug-in electric vehicle (EV) lobby.

A new survey from the UK, reported by some outlets in Australia, insists the rising number of EV charging points has now overtaken the falling number of fuel pumps.

But the reality is different, despite confusing claims and measurements on both sides.

Nissan says that research by Zap-Map and the Energy Institute shows there are now almost 1000 more public charging points than refueling stations across the country.

Its totals are 9199 for EV charging locations and 8396 for fuel stations.

But things tip dramatically the other way when the total number of refueling points is compiled, with 20,000 charging points compared to around 135,000 petrol or diesel pumps, based on the latest figures from the respected Sunday Times newspaper.

Nobody is disputing the fact the number of fuel stations is falling in the UK, almost exactly 100 years since Britain's first public fuel station opened in November 1919.

The peak for petroleum was in the 1970s when there were 37,539 stations and, since then, more than 80 per cent of UK fuel stations have closed.

In contrast, 2350 charging points were added in the first seven months of this year.

But drill deeper and the numbers become more confusing in the pumps-versus-plugs contest.

Many charging points only have a single car cable and most petrol stations have at least four bowsers for unleaded and diesel, and up to several dozen at major motorway stations which also service trucks and buses.

Also, refueling with petrol or diesel takes only a few minutes, while an EV refuel can take anywhere from 30 minutes to many hours.

On Nissan’s numbers, there are 1600 public fast-chargers in the UK but even this is skewed because the definition of a fast-charger is 7kW, which is only twice as fast as a three-pin plug-in at home.

Nissan says the introduction of the ultra-low emission zone in London earlier this year has also led to more drivers leaning towards plug-in power, and points out that there are now only four fuel stations in the area.

The Bloomsbury Service Station, one of Britain’s oldest and operating since 1926, was closed in 2008.

“Many consumers are saying their next car will be electric,” says Kalyana Sivagnanam, the managing director of Nissan Motor GB.

A total of 14,246 EVs were sold in the UK through the first seven months of this year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders -- a jump of 70.6 per cent over 2018 but still accounting for just 1.0 per cent of the total market.

In Australia, the electric pick-up rate is even lower and a recent report from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economies says the share of EV sales will rise from 0.35 per cent now to only eight per cent by 2025.

But EV sales in Australia are forecast to rise to 27 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2035 as purchase prices move towards parity with conventional vehicles and plug-in infrastructure improves.