The rise of electric vehicles has to go hand in hand with the rise of EV charge points to make EVs convenient for the consumer. Not only do the charge point need to be in sufficient number to support people’s lifestyles but they also have to be able to charge quickly and efficiently. In 2020, we have taken huge steps to increase the number of charging stations around the UK and charge point installed in peoples homes. This has supported the steep rise in EV in the UK, but when did EV charge points become more popular?
The earliest EVs did not have any charge points to support them. They were experiments taken on by famous automakers such as Henry Ford and were not necessarily going to be used on the road. However, from 1820s onwards there were electric cars on the road as we discussed in our “History of Electric Cars” blog post, but these only had a range of 14 miles and were soon overshadowed by the combustion engine vehicle.
A key moment in the push for EV charging stations was the launch of the famous Toyota Prius in 1997. Up until this point, research on EV and EV charge point was going on in the shadows and the idea of a charging point infrastructure seemed utterly impossible. The huge popularity of the Prius made people come round to the idea of a non-petrol car. What compounded this rise in popularity was the release of the luxury EV from Tesla in 2006 which could travel up to 200miles on a single charge. This was another major moment in the evolution of charging points as it made them a necessity rather than just being good to have.
Since 2006, most big auto-makers have made huge investments into developing their own non-petrol cars to meet customer demand and to remain relevant in an ever-changing market. Due to the increasing research, there has been a decrease in the cost of EV technology. This helps hugely to encourage the mass-use of EVs as the higher price range has been a barrier to the majority of the population until recent years.
Today, EV charge points are very simplistic and efficient, with home charging points able to be installed to use in private properties and work premises, and large charging stations to support the public when out and about. The speed of charging points was the main focus of research for the past 10 years and there are now charging options that were previously not available such as rapid chargers which can charge up to 80% in around half an hour. These rapid chargers are perfect to be used in charging stations for when drivers need to top up their battery during their car journeys.
If you have any questions about EV charge points or are looking to install a charge point at your home or work premises, please get in touch. A member of our technical team will happily answer any questions you may have. Call us on 0141 280 8890 or drop us an email at info@britetechnicalservices.co.uk.We also have a variety of platforms available with extensive information about electric vehicles (brite-ev.com), EV chargepoints (evchargepoints.com) and EV accessories (briteaccessories.com).