Number of electric car charging locations to overtake petrol stations by August 2020.

• Number of electric car charging locations to overtake petrol stations by August 2020.
• UK has lost more than 75% of petrol stations in four decades, whilst electric charging points have gone from hundreds to thousands in just a few years.
• Edward Jones, EV Manager, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd., said; ‘We believe the tipping point for mass EV uptake is upon us.’
• Nissan was the first manufacturer to introduce a mass-produced electric vehicle and has sold more EVs than any other car brand worldwide.

There will be more public locations to charge electric cars in the UK than there are petrol stations by the summer of 2020, according to new analysis by Nissan.

At the end of 2015, there were just 8,472 fuel stations in the UK, down from 37,539 in 1970. Assuming a steady rate of decline, Nissan predicts that by August 2020 this will fall to under 7,870.*

In contrast, the number of public electric vehicle charging locations is expected to reach 7,900 by the same point in time. However, the accelerating adoption of electric vehicles means this crossover could happen a lot sooner.

Just over 100 years since the first fuel station opened – November 1919 at Aldermaston in Berkshire – the number in the UK has peaked, declined and is expected to be overtaken by charging stations designed for battery, not combustion, powered cars.

More than 75% of UK petrol stations have closed in the last 40 years, whilst the number of electric vehicle charging locations has increased from a few hundred in 2011 to more than 4,100 locations in 2016, as electric car sales take off.

According to Go Ultra Low, the joint government and car industry campaign, more than 115 electric cars were registered every day in the first quarter of 2016, equivalent to one every 13 minutes. The campaign also believes electric power could be the dominant form of propulsion for all new cars sold in the UK as early as 2027, with more than 1.3m electric cars registered each year.

Edward Jones, EV Manager, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd., said; ‘As electric vehicle sales take off, the charging infrastructure is keeping pace and paving the way for convenient all-electric driving. Combine that with constant improvements in our battery performance and we believe the tipping point for mass EV uptake is upon us. As with similar breakthrough technologies, the adoption of electric vehicles should follow an ‘S-curve’ of demand. A gradual uptake from early adopters accelerates to a groundswell of consumers buying electric vehicles just as they would any other powertrain.’

Nissan was the first manufacturer to introduce a mass-produced electric vehicle and has sold more EVs than any other car brand worldwide. The company has also been a strong advocate of supporting a convenient charging infrastructure – even so far as to partner with Ecotricity last year, calling on the UK government to introduce official EV charging point road signage.

Whilst the vast majority of electric vehicle owners charge at home, 98% of UK motorway services have charging stations, including rapid connectors that can charge a LEAF’s battery to 80% in just 30 minutes. The 30kWh Nissan LEAF, launched in January, delivers up to 155 miles on a single charge – a range that covers more than 90% of the average daily commuting requirements.

Nissan also recently announced the joint development of an atomic analysis methodology that uses amorphous silicon monoxide (SiO) to increase the energy density of its lithium-ion batteries. This development alone could the increase driving range of future Nissan electric vehicles by 150%.

Supply of fuel within the Capital is also becoming scarcer. Central London has nearly half as many petrol stations per car as the Scottish Highlands; only four remain within the congestion-charge zone**. A notable closure in 2008 was one of the country’s oldest forecourts, the Bloomsbury Service Station, which had been operational since 1926.

Nissan’s recent partnership with world-renowned architects Foster + Partners, provided a conceptual vision for the Fuel Station of the Future. The result isn’t a conventional forecourt at all, but a combination of Vehicle-to-grid, battery storage, wireless charging, autonomous drive technology and over-the-air connectivity all combining to revolutionise how energy is used and distributed across Europe’s major cities.

Nissan believes these technologies, run in tandem with all-electric vehicles, will play an increasingly important role in helping major cities like London reduce harmful emissions. It took just eight days for London to breach its annual pollution limits in 2016 with pollution levels reaching 3.5x the legal limit in some of the Capital’s black spots.***

Source Data:

Fuel Stations Data: Energy Institute (www.energyinst.org). Decline rate of UK fuel stations is based on Dec 2005 – Dec 2015 data. There were 9,764 fuel stations in the UK by end of December 2005 and 8,472 by December 2015. An average decrease of 129 per year, or 10.8 per month.

Charging Location Data: Zap-Map (www.zap-map.com). Charging location increase based on Dec 2012 – Dec 2015 data. There were 913 charging locations in the UK by end of December 2012 and 3,646 by December 2015. An average increase of 911 per year or 76 per month.

	UK Fuel Stations	UK Charging Locations
2005	9,764
2006	9,382
2007	9,271
2008	9,283
2009	9,013
2010	8,892
2011	8,480
2012	8,693	913
2013	8,611	1,962
2014	8,609	2,775
2015	8,472	3,646

Over the past three years the number of electric charging locations has been steadily increasing whilst the number of petrol stations has declined. If these trends continues at the current rate then by August 2020 there will be more charging locations than petrol stations.

	UK Fuel Stations	UK Charging Locations
Dec-2019	7955	7290
Jan-2020	7944	7366
Feb-2020	7933	7442
Mar-2020	7923	7518
Apr-2020	7912	7594
May-2020	7901	7670
Jun-2020	7890	7746
Jul-2020	7880	7822
Aug-2020	7869	7898
Sep-2020	7858	7974
Oct-2020	7847	8050
Nov-2020	7837	8126
Dec-2020	7826	8201

Unprecedented numbers of the public flock to buy Ultra Low Emission cars so far this year.

• More than 20,000 motorists bought a plug-in car during the first nine months of 2015, a rise of 138.5%
• Uptake of plug-in hybrids shows biggest growth, rising 226.5% from 4,300 to 14,041 registrations for the year-to-date
• Greater choice of models fuels shift to plug-in cars

Latest new car registration data shows booming demand for plug-in cars as motorists tune in to the cost-saving benefits of ultra low emission motoring. Analysis by Go Ultra Low shows that 20,992 motorists made the leap to plug-in power between January and September this year, bumper growth of 138.5% against 2014.

Fuelling the demand is a greater choice of models, with more than 27 pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars now available in the UK, ranging from high-performance sports cars to capable family run-arounds. The new data shows consumer appetite rising rapidly for plug-in hybrid models with demand accelerating ahead 226.5% against 2014 with 14,041 registrations.

Head of Go Ultra Low, Poppy Welch, said, “The growth in plug-in car registrations is excellent news and in line with our expectations. This trend should continue over the course of this year as we know that motorists are keen to achieve maximum miles for the lowest cost, while minimising emissions and environmental impact.”

Shifting shares

In line with a trend seen throughout this year, registrations of ultra low emission vehicles continue to grow their share of the new car market, taking more than 1% share for the year so far. Up significantly from the same period in 2014 when just 0.44% of registrations were plug-ins, this move to new technology demonstrates the value motorists place in a variety of options, enabling them to pick the car that best-meets their needs.

Plug-in bestsellers

The newest statistics reveal that Mitsubishi leads the new registrations charge, with 9,303 of its flagship Outlander PHEV sold since the start of 2015. Nissan follows with its all-electric LEAF racking-up 4,285 registrations, and BMW’s i3 is the nation’s third most popular ultra low emission vehicle, also nearly doubling its tally with 1,564 registrations.

UK top ranked ultra low emission cars for year-to-date 2015

Rank	Ultra low emission vehicle	2015 year-to-date registrations	2014 year-to-date registrations
1	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV	9,303	2,731
2	Nissan LEAF	4,285	2,969
3	BMW i3	1,564	874

Future market

Government anticipates that 5% of new car registrations (around 100,000 units) will be ultra low emission by 2020 – an expectation that appears on track in light of recent rises. As more motorists look to manage running costs, a money-saving end goal could be providing the momentum for the surge in electric vehicle popularity.

Electric cars can be driven for as little as 2p per mile, compared with 10-12p for a conventionally powered car. Furthering their appeal, the variety of city, family, SUV and sports cars provides the practicality motorists crave, while boasting up to 700 miles range.

Go Ultra Low exists to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the raft of ultra low emission vehicles on the market. The collaborative campaign is the first of its kind, bringing together a consortium of seven leading vehicle manufacturers (Audi, BMW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen), Government and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Further details are available at www.GoUltraLow.com.