As an example of the impact workplace charging can have on drivers converting to plug-in cars, the National Grid’s HQ in Warwick has seen numbers more than double since installing charge points in April 2016.
Installed by eVolt, National Grid House now has six 7kW dual outlet charge points for its staff to use. According to the company’s data, usage has increased 334% as the company car fleet has expanded.
Darren Watson, Environmental Operations Advisor for National Grid’s Sustainability and Climate Change team, said: “Since the eVolt charging infrastructure was installed, the number of company car PHEVs has risen from 177 to 375, and we have seen an increase in the number of fully electric vehicles.
“The chargers’ take up has been rapid and exponential, and we are forecasting further rises as the business continues to support the adoption of EVs, and our employees continue to select them as a credible alternative to traditional petrol or diesel engines.”
Richard Lloyd, Risk & Compliance Manager at National Grid commented: “We have found our eVolt chargers to be highly reliable and supportive of our eco-ambitions and have no reason to doubt installation at further sites would be a success.
“We are working collectively with eVolt to develop a strategy in realising this aim while continuing to increase use of the charge points at National Grid House. The more remote sites with fewer employees have individual challenges, and EV charging services must be provided in a sustainable way, so collaborating to find the best solutions is key.”
Justin Meyer, General Manager of eVolt UK, says this is a prime example of why companies, including rural businesses, should consider an EV infrastructure: “The figures show what we consistently see after a business installs charge points; the considerable increase in their use alongside the increasing take up of EVs being used by employees.
“One of the key factors holding back EV sales is drivers’ worry that they will run out of battery power – what the industry calls range anxiety. But with charge points installed at working locations, drivers have convenient charging that fits with their normal driving routine.”
Find out more about workplace charging at Zap-Map’s Charging at Work page.
