Research and analysis
Electric vehicle smart charging: improving consumer understanding and awareness
Research exploring consumer groups’ understanding of and attitudes towards smart charging, and how to develop and test messages to help build awareness and encourage uptake.
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Details
The research aimed to gain an understanding of UK consumer knowledge of smart charging at different stages of the consumer journey. It was in 2 phases:
- an assessment of the current evidence base, followed by 30 qualitative interviews with current and prospective electric vehicle (EV) drivers who charged at home or work, and fleet managers who had either switched some of their vehicles to EVs or were planning to
- developing a set of guiding principles for message development to promote and spread awareness of smart charging, through 6 focus groups with the same consumer groups, gathering feedback on messages and iterating them within and between the focus groups
Key findings:
- awareness and understanding is fairly low amongst consumers, employees and fleet managers
- domestic consumers are likely to smart charge, but may not necessarily associate their experiences with the phrase “smart” charging.
- between 70% and 90% of domestic consumers smart charge to some extent (primarily overnight)
- smart charging not widely done in the workplace; only around 12% of EV users who charge at work are able to schedule their own charging
- fleet managers tend to focus on adopting EVs in the first instance, they are not yet focusing on optimising charging
- in terms of message provision, research found that energy suppliers, online EV forums, and friends and family are the preferred channels for advice
The research was completed prior to the recent UK general election in July 2024. As such, any references to government policies, commitments, or initiatives may reflect the stance of the previous administration, and were accurate at the time of fieldwork and writing.