What Australia can learn from more mature electric car markets like the UK | Opinion

To the end of June this year, Australians had bought more than 43,000 electric vehicles representing 7.5 per cent of the entire new car market. Considering that, to the same point in 2022, EVs comprised less than 2.0 per cent, its clear battery powered cars are reaching a tipping point - if not already.

That's not to say electric vehicles are the perfect fit for everyone though, and there are plenty of reasons many motorists are sticking with combustion power for now.

Perhaps it's the cost, or the charging process, maximum range or even where the power comes from.

But it's possible to see how many of the most frequently cited sticking points can be overcome by visiting nations which are many years ahead of Australia when it comes to electric vehicle transition.

One such nation is the United Kingdom and a recent trip to the green isle offered a fascinating insight into EV ownership and how things can be done better.

It's one thing to wander around the south of England and simply observe the variety of infrastructure that makes EV life easier, but actually living with one builds a more accurate picture. For my visit I saddled a Polestar 2 - not the hero 350kW AWD monster, but a full rental-spec white two-wheel drive with 67kWh battery and cloth seats. Perfect.

About 400km of range used to be pretty impressive for an EV but that battery capacity is becoming fairly normal by today's standards and while still respectable, my chariot would need topping up at some point on the go.

Thankfully, the UK has an enviable charger network for those times a trip is longer than the maximum range or it hasn't been possible to charge while parked overnight.

With more than 44,400 public chargers nationwide and 1600 added just last month alone, they are literally everywhere. On one occasion I found a pair tucked away in a pleasant country pub car park, while the vast banks of chargers to be found at many major motorway service stations is an impressive sight.

On every occasion, chargers were available and well maintained. In the case of the plug I used at the Bear Inn ‘ultra rapid' (100kW+) was not available and I had to make do with ‘rapid' (25-99kW) which would give the Polestar enough juice to top up from about half charged to 85 per cent in 20 minutes.

That might be the cause of a furrowed brow if I was in a hurry, but I had the luxury of time and a stroll around the town was a good way to kill some. Be warned however, while virtually every charger in Australia includes parking in the fee, the UK has long since abandoned this particular incentive.

It seems parking wardens are just as abundant as charging stations in the UK and a quick pitstop at the Bear turned into easily the most expensive pint I've ever had.

Had I bought a parking ticket however, the exercise shouldn't have been nearly as costly, but it still isn't cheap. Power prices in the UK range from 60 pence per kWh to 79 pence per kWh (about $1.14 to $1.50). In the case of my Polestar, a 40-per cent top up cost about $45.

For comparison, Australian public charging costs as little as $0.45 per kWh up to just over $0.81 per kWh for Tesla Superchargers. For the time being therefore, we've got it pretty good in Australia for on-the-fly charging.

Either way, charging on the go for a majority of EV owners is an unusual necessity with most cars topped up overnight at home. Here's another area the UK is making a big difference.

Unlike Australia where houses are relatively large and typically have off-street parking at worst and garage accommodation for cars at best, the UK has a lower proportion of homes that suit EV charging.

That's where a recent project between Siemens, Ubitricity and Westminster City Council comes in. Dubbed ‘electric avenue' the collaboration converted 24 light poles in an 800-meter London Street into EV chargers, demonstrating that you don't necessarily need a driveway to drive an EV.

Having a garage or property where a cable can be securely and safely run to the car remains the ideal scenario, but the UK is a case in point that you don't have to live in a mansion to practically use an electric car.

Perhaps the cost or availability of charging is not the main concern and the origin of the electricity is the subject of most concern for you. In 2021, 71 percent of Australia's electricity was produced using fossil fuels, so it's a valid concern until more sustainable energy sources are adopted locally.

In the UK however, more than 40 per cent of power comes from renewable sources on average, but with the right conditions of wind and sun, that number can jump to more than 70 per cent.

From this glittering review, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the UK's electric vehicle proposition is perfect, but it is not. The closer you get to the capital the busier the EV charging stations become, clogged by fleets of iconic Black Cabs.

From 2018, all new London taxis must be ‘zero emissions capable' and with the massive amount of electric cars hitting metropolitan streets in response, the infrastructure was similarly impacted.

And while the average price of an EV in Australia continues to fall, British drivers are being asked to pay more for battery powered cars as the cost of living continues to rise as it does in Australia.

Overwhelmingly, the experience of living with an electric vehicle in the UK was a positive one and the most impressive element of Great Britain's electric car infrastructure was a complete lack of range anxiety, even as a temporary custodian.

But, scratch the glossy surface, and England has its own set of challenges in making electric cars the preferred mode of transport over combustion.

The United Kingdom is still ahead of Australia as we continue to languish in our adoption of alternative energy, but the EV status quo on the other side of the world highlights how in many ways, there's never been a better time to make the switch Down Under.