Howes Percival
Charging forward: electric vehicles and the rise of the powertrain economy
As EV adoption accelerates, the region’s forward- thinking mentality once again sees it driving the change. With electric vehicle (EV) adoption no longer an
Tom Redman Partner and Head of Automotive Howes Percival
episode of Tomorrow’s World, the UK is accelerating into an electric future, with EV adoption climbing steadily and infrastructure expanding at pace. But while headlines often focus on charging rollout (which still lags where it needs to be) and consumer uptake, a quiet revolution is under way in the manufacturing sector – particularly in Milton Keynes, where companies like Helix are turning the city into a national hub for high-performance electric motor and inverter production. T e UK’s electric vehicle (EV) market is showing signs
of maturity in 2025. According to the latest industry data: ■ 70% of consumers now say they’re likely to buy an EV within fi ve years – up from 65% last year.
■ 88% of existing EV drivers report a positive ownership experience, with more than half actively recommending EVs to others.
■ T e number of EV ‘sceptics’ has dropped to 18%, down from over 25% just two years ago.
T is sort of data suggests that the electrifi cation of
transport is no longer just a policy ambition driven down on to the sector by successive governments – it’s a commercial reality. From sales and leasing to servicing and infrastructure, the wider automotive landscape is adapting to this new EV reality. For businesses operating in fl eet management, leasing, charging infrastructure or clean tech, this signals an increasingly receptive and en- thusiastic customer base, both business-to-consumer and business-to-business.
Charging infrastructure: catching up, but unevenly Supporting this rise in EV adoption is a nationwide eff ort to improve charging infrastructure. The UK government remains committed to its target of 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030 which, at current rates of implementation, remains an optimistic (but an increasingly necessary) target that needs to be met. Progress is being made, as of mid-2025, and there are now more than 82,000 public charging devices in the UK, which represents a 44% year-on-year increase. Key to solving one of the questions often raised of the practicalities of EV travel when compared to traditional ICE vehicles, is the ability to ‘fuel up’ fast and it is encouraging that the sector is responding with rapid and ultra-rapid charging (50kW+) charging facilities growing fastest, particularly at motorway service stations and retail destinations.
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