The number of businesses offering on-site electric vehicle (EV) charging is set to double in the next year, research from Arval Mobility Observatory shows.

Shaun Sadlier, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “This represents a relatively important shift in supporting drivers who choose or are provided with an electric car or van through their employer.

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“It means EV drivers visiting other companies should be able to increasingly access charging for their return or subsequent journey, saving time and presumably also accessing cheaper power than if they had to pay for public charging.

“One of the considerations that businesses need to think through is the mix of charging points which they install. One set of drivers may need access to a rapid charger to get sufficient additional miles, while for another group of drivers, a slower charger will be adequate.

“Whether this all materialises in exactly the manner we’d hope is difficult to say – employees could ‘hog’ the chargers on their own company car park, but it does hopefully mark the beginning of a crucial infrastructure shift towards noticeably wider charger availability.”

However, Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer also shows a decrease in the percentage of companies offering free charging, probably as a result of recent increases in the cost of electricity.

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“Since this question was asked in last year’s research, the number of fleets offering free power at their premises has fallen from 29% to 17%. As an effect of soaring prices, it has simply become too expensive for many to continue to give electricity away.”

Finally, Sadlier said there was some divergence when it comes to attitudes towards the installation of home charging – with around a third (32%) of businesses paying for their employees’ installation but half that percentage (16%) leaving drivers to foot the bill themselves.

“It will be interesting to see how this situation develops as we head towards the 2030 new combusion engine deadline with increased pressure for as much home charging to be made available as possible.

“Charging at home tends to be one of the cheapest options for EV users, so helping them to access that power by paying for charger installation will make sense for many employers.”

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