Weakness of UK's electric vehicle charging infrastructure is bad news for bikers
The fragility of the UK's electric vehicle charging infrastructure was highlighted over the Christmas period, which has ramifications for motorcycles.
Due to concerns over waiting times to access public charging stations, demands for an increase in the number of available electric vehicle charging stations have increased.
The intensification of the demands for an increase in the number of charging stations for electric vehicles has come after owners of EVs were forced to wait as long as three hours over the festive period to access a charging point.
More specifically, the concern is over ‘rapid’ and ‘ultra-rapid’ charging points. The RAC says there are only 6,712 of these charging points in the UK, but over 420,000 electric vehicles.
That is of course a concerning ratio from the perspective of the EV owner, although if every Tesla in the country is stopped at a charging point for three hours by the time autonomous vehicles become legal on UK roads in 2025 it is a ratio which should make the roads safer for motorcyclists.
On the other hand, with the growth in electric motorcycle sales and the industry’s push towards battery electrics (although alternatives such as synthetics or fuel cell electrics of course remain possible), the negative impact this lack of charging infrastructure can have on UK motorcyclists in the future is also quite clear to see.
For now, most electric bikes are lower-powered models in the 125cc-equivalent category or below, designed to travel relatively short distances. They often have removable batteries, making home-charging less complicated, and their target audience of the city commuter means that access to a public charging point is less of a concern than it otherwise might be.
However, there are also bikes which are designed to travel longer distances and complete longer journeys, but are also electric. The Zero DSR/X, for example, is an electric-powered adventure tourer which has a range and purpose aimed at much more than a cross-city work commute.
Instead, motorcycles such as the DSR/X are intended as electric alternatives to established adventure and touring bikes such as the Honda Africa Twin or Yamaha Tenere 700. The number of these sorts of electric bikes is increasing, but the increase in the number of bikes must be matched by an increase in the available charging infrastructure to support them.
This is not a choice of electric or combustion. As the electrification of the motorcycle industry continues, it is a choice of motorcycles or not.
