16 miles – that is the average distance between electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the UK countryside, compared to just one mile in Greater London. In fact, research from the County Councils Network (CCN) shows London alone contains more public charging points (7,865) than the entirety of England’s counties, home to almost half of the country’s population. Clearly, the lack of access to public EV charging infrastructure is holding up nationwide progress towards a more sustainable future. Those who already own an EV may face lengthy queues or waits for their nearest public charging station to become available, while those considering the transition are likely put off by fears of running out of power and the changes to their lifestyle that charging would require. Yet, the need to reduce transportrelated emissions is more urgent than ever, with our Traffic Index data revealing that rush hour CO² emissions across large UK cities such as Bristol, Manchester, Cardiff, and Edinburgh increased annually in 2022. To inspire more sustainable travel, Government, local authorities and charging and tech providers must work together to find a solution. This should not only increase the number of charging points available in rural areas of the UK, but also position them strategically to minimise charging anxiety, which requires accurate decision-making based on in-depth mapping data. Let’s explore the huge role that geolocation and mapping data will play in bridging the rural-urban EV charging divide. Connecting the dots with mapping data Rural drivers exhibit unique driving patterns, far different to how people drive in cities, towns, and even fringe 58 AFTERMARKET MARCH 2024 EVS AND HYBRIDS www.aftermarketonline.net A look at the role mapping technologies can play in reducing rural EV charging anxiety urban areas. For instance, UK Government data shows that the average total distances travelled are 33% higher for people living in rural villages, hamlets, and isolated dwellings, likely due to less public transport and distant amenities. Geospatial tracking of these vehicle movements and routes has long been used in tools like Sat Navs to help drivers avoid traffic and take faster, shorter and more fuel-efficient journeys, and to find nearby service stations, in real-time. Charging providers can also use this live, ultraaccurate information to discover and plan the ideal locations for new and upgraded infrastructure. For example, mapping data can reveal the most popular rural routes in each county and help highlight potential locations for charging points along these routes. It can also plot the furthest distances between chargers and advise on new infrastructure to be BY Drew Meehan, Senior Product Manager for Electric Vehicles at TomTom BEYOND CITIES
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