To understand how well a residential charge scheme is performing, we need to look at catchment. We define catchment as how many residential properties without off-street parking are within a 5-minute walking distance of an existing EV charger site. These households are important because these people will be relying on public infrastructure as we move towards electric vehicles. This issue will be highlighted further as businesses purchase EVs for their workforce.
Fleet vehicles make up a significant proportion of these new vehicle sales – almost 57% of new registrations in 2019. Business drivers will use their vehicles differently to private owners, covering up to 5 times more annual mileage. Their mileage is fulfilled consecutively across the working week, so in order to keep working these vehicles will need to be charged overnight 2 or 3 times per week.
The arrival of business cars and vans into the local neighbourhood will significantly accelerate the demand for nearby charging provision. Understanding catchment can help authorities anticipate this demand and focus their investment the right areas. It will also assist CPOs in finding sites that are ultimately more profitable.