Independent research by Dodona Analytics reveals that home electric vehicle chargers must be shared if the UK is to meet its EV uptake goals

Independent research by data and analytics experts Dodona Analytics reveals electric charger sharing is essential to support the UK's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. According to their research, if only 4% of motorists with a home charger share it with their neighbours living in flats and terraced houses where they can't have their own charger, then a successful transition to EVs can be achieved - but without it we face a shortfall or 'charger chasm' of over 250,000 chargers.

A growing number of companies facilitate EV charge point sharing via apps. The app connects the 'host' or charger owner with motorists who would like to rent their charger and will handle the 'matchmaking', bookings and payments. Co Charger connects communities to share chargers within neighbourhoods whilst other apps offer 'destination charging' as an alternative to public and motorway charging on long journeys.
In their white paper Will the EV charge point roll-out put the brakes on cleaner transport? Dodona Analytics have created a model which shows the relationship between projected supply and demand for public EV charge points between 2021 and 2030.

The projected demand for EV charge points is based on the assumption that the number of electric vehicles in the UK will continue to grow exponentially until it reaches 9 million in 2030 (source: National Grid)
However the installation of new charging points is not keeping pace with the EV market. In the last 3 years 7469 new public charge points were installed each year (source: Zap-Map) Dodona Analytics modelled the scenario where there were 10,000 new charge points every year, reaching 133,642 in 2030.

Policy Exchange, the UK's leading Think Tank in its report Charging Up predicted that the UK will need public 400,000 chargers by 2030 in addition to home chargers.
The public chargers are needed primarily for motorists in flats and terraces who aren't able to charge at home. But even motorists with home chargers will need them when making longer journeys
Dodona Analytics predict that the current rate of charger installation will leave a shortfall of over 250,000 chargers.
'Our research shows there is a wide gap between the future demand for and the current availability of charge points,' says Stefan Furlan, CEO of Dodona Analytics. 'In order to overcome the Charger Gap our paper recommends the following. Firstly a data driven approach to site selection and infrastructure deployment, secondly the sharing of home and workplace chargers and thirdly cross-industry collaboration.'

Joel Teague, CEO of Co Charger says, 'The paper is a real breath of fresh air and thinking in a complex space that has perhaps been a little over-focused on existing EV drivers and new infrastructure. The UK's public charger building scheme is ambitious, well-organised and well-funded, but as this paper shows, further access to chargers is needed to help motorists in flats and terraces make the transition. Charge point sharing is a quick, cheap, and self-scaling solution – as EV ownership rises, more home charge points will become available, which can then be shared with neighbours, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of owning an EV and a cleaner, greener neighbourhood'.
However whilst there are already 35,000 public chargers in the UK, this is a fraction of the number of home chargers – estimated to be at least 300,000.

Co Charger enables those who do have chargers, whether motorists, businesses or community buildings to share them with neighbours who don't. It has featured in The Sunday Times 'Can't find an electric car charger – rent the neighbour's, Forbes
'Charger sharing could be the solution to the EV infrastructure problem' and Autocar
Good Neighbours: an EV charging solution for motorists with no driveway
The Co Charger app connects Hosts with Chargees. Hosts are motorists and organisations with an EV charger they'd be open to sharing, whether that's a neighbour, charity, or a small business. The app enables Hosts to manage bookings and set the price they would like to charge for the service. Chargees are people who have an electric vehicle, or are considering buying one but aren't able to charge at home.
The process and payment structure is deliberately very simple. At the end of each charging session the Chargee pays via a card pre-registered in the app and the Host receives that payment minus Co Charger's 12% fee. There is no other cost or commitment.

How the app works is described in Co Charger's latest video Co Charger – Together We're Electrifying
'With charger sharing, everyone wins,' says Joel Teague. 'In practice it means a motorist living in a flat can have an arrangement with a nearby neighbour with a driveway to charge at theirs once or twice a week, ideally overnight when tariffs are cheaper The Host can earn some extra income from renting out their charger, whilst the Chargee gets the nearest possible experience to home charging. Obviously not everyone is in a position to share their charger, for example they might not have anywhere else to put their own car while someone uses it but moving towards a culture of sharing EV chargers will help us hit the UK's environmental targets sooner rather than later. And the report by Dodona Analytics reveals that only 1 in 25 need to share – surely we can manage that?'

Ben Nelmes, Head of Policy at independent transport research organisation NewAutomotive says, 'People who live in flats and terraces need confidence in local and reliable access to charging before they can make the switch to an EV. To have a rapid and early transition to EVs we need to use every tool in the box. This means more data-driven decisions about where to put public charge points and also incentive for charge sharing schemes, which have huge potential to improve people's ability to charge up their EVs where and when they need to.'

'I know how challenging it can be to run an electric car without a charger because I was once in that position myself,' adds Joel. 'Five years ago a neighbour convinced me to get an electric car. My new Renault Zoe arrived but the charger installation was delayed, and my nearest public charger was seven miles away. I ended up giving the same neighbour a few quid to use their charger once a week until mine arrived. It was such an easy, convenient arrangement and led to a lightbulb moment in which I realised that connecting communities via an app to share chargers could unlock electric vehicle ownership for millions of motorists.'

Joel himself is a reformed petrol-head turned electric vehicle superfan. 'I used to drive Jaguars, which I would buy second-hand. But then I decided to invest in a new Renault Zoe because it offered a smooth, quiet ride and was an ethical choice. However, as is the case for a lot of motorists going electric did mean stretching my budget when it came to the initial purchase but I knew that over time the low running costs would make the car a wise financial choice for me and my family. If I hadn't been able to charge at either at home or within my immediate neighbourhood the transition to an electric vehicle wouldn't have been viable – and with Co Charger I want to help more motorists have the same opportunity.'

Notes to editors
Co Charger covered in
Co Charger has been featured on Radio 5 Live, in Autocar , Forbes and The Sunday Times, and is a member of the Society of Motor manufacturers and traders (SMMT). It is also engaged with the Energy Saving Trust, the Renewable Energy Association, the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV) and other environmental and business organisations including major car manufacturers.
The Sunday Times - Can't find an electric car charger? Rent the neighbours
Autocar – Home charger rental service launched for UK EV owners

Forbes – Charger sharing could be the answer to the EV infrastructure problem
Media contact and interviews
Maria McCarthy – maria@mariamccarthy.co.uk
Co Charger CEO Joel Teague is available for interview via Skype, Zoom or in person, respecting social distancing guidelines.
Phone
01392 240840
07941 888679
email - Joel.Teague@co-charger.com

Co Charger director Sam Routledge samro@samroutledge.com

About Co Charger
Co Charger is developing a community that will help accelerate electric vehicle adoption. Through our app and collaborations we enable people who cannot charge a vehicle at home to do so within a short walking distance.
Co Charger is an environmentally and socially responsible company and aiming to become a B corporation certified organisation.
Co Charger is affiliated with the Co Cars family which also includes Co Bikes and Co Delivery. Together we are accelerating towards a shared, zero-emissions future.
Co Charger is actively collaborating with other organisations and businesses such as councils and car manufacturers to raise awareness of Community Charging and help accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles.
Payment operates on the AirBnB model, with the Chargee paying Co Charger and Co Charger passing that onto the host, after taking a nominal fee. The Co Charger app is available for both iOS and Android, free to download and there is no subscription. More information about how charging sessions are managed are available in the Co Charger FAQs.

Dodona Analytics
Dodona Analytics enables green technology and mobility infrastructure by providing an AI-based data solution to empower councils, communities and residents. We help investors in charging infrastructure, local councils, charge point operators, eMobility service providers and fleet operators implement Smart Cities Connectivity.
Media contact – stefan.furlan@dodonaanalytics.com

Co Charger YouTube videos
Summing up Co Charger in 60 seconds - Co Charger – Together We're Electrifying!
Why be a Co Charger Host? Part 1: Chargers Can Earn Their Keep!
Why be a Co Charger Host? Part 2: Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

Co Charger is affiliated with the Co Cars family which also includes Co Bikes and Co Delivery. Together we are accelerating towards a shared, zero-emissions future.
Co Charger Host – financial incentive
If a Host has 4 Chargees each doing an average mileage (7800) in cars with average efficiency a host could potentially make £470 a year in total.

This is based on the Host having an electricity tariff of 15p per kWh, and charging £1.70 an hour.

If the Host and the 4 Chargees use charge scheduling to use cheap electricity on a variable tariff (eg Octopus Go at 5p per kWh from 00.30am to 04.30am) the Host's profit rises to over £1300 a year.

Each of the 4 Chargees would be paying around £9 a week/£480 per year to charge their cars and would not have the added expense of installing a charger.

Unlocking the benefits of electric vehicle ownership for all motorists
Once electric vehicle ownership was seen as an eco-friendly but expensive choice. But with list prices dropping, and second-hand vehicles coming onto the market it's now becoming an attractive option for the budget conscious. With running costs at around 4-6p a mile rather than 12p for a petrol or diesel car (Energy Saving Trust) running an electric vehicle can offer significant savings.

Sources and references
Motor Trade news – One EV registered every 3 minutes in the UK 2020
The Times Poshest addresses lead the charge for electric vehicles
Autocar Report reveals stark disparities in electric car ownership
English Housing Survey 2016 – here
At least 40% of people live in terraced houses or flats without a private driveway.
Connected Kerb research – Moving from early adopters to mainstream buyers report here
67% of electric vehicle owners would not have made the switch if they had to rely on public chargers. And nearly 9 in 10 of non-EV owners would be encouraged to make their next car purchase an EV if they had a space to charge it overnight.
Energy Saving Trust
cost of running and electric car – here
Estimated number of public chargers
Go Ultra Low - number of public charging points in the UK – here
Estimated number of home chargers
According to a recent query to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) there is not an exact number available for the amount of home charge points in the UK.
However, it is possible to work from the following data
By October 2020 OLEV has funded 120,000 home chargers. In addition some car manufacturers offer free charger installation with purchase of a new vehicle.
As of November 2020 there are an estimated 385,000 plug-in cars and vans in the UK. 80% of these motorists charge at home (according to the Energy Saving Trust). This gives estimated 308,000 home charge points.
DfT £50million EV charging boost supported by charger sharing scheme Co Charger
The Department of Transport has announced a government boost of £50 million to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. Support for small businesses, landlords and leaseholders: government charges up the electric vehicle revolution with £50 million boost
The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which provides up to £350 towards a chargepoint will be expanded to include people in rented and leasehold accommodation.
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) will also be opened up allowing charities and small businesses such as B&Bs to benefit from funding, boosting access to EV charging in rural areas.
There is also a pledge to make it simpler and more reliable to use public chargepoints
Joel Teague, CEO of Co Charger, a charger sharing scheme very much supports this initiative. 'Easy access to EV charging should be for everyone – not just homeowners with driveways. Previously motorists in rented accommodation or in rural areas might have felt unable to transition to an EV, but this is a significant step towards ensuring that no-one is 'locked out' of the electric vehicle revolution. But this levels the playing field and recognises the importance of leaseholders, tenants and small businesses in helping their neighbourhood to go electric.'