Latest findings from LeasePlan's 2021 EV Readiness Index

Europe is more ready than ever for the EV transition, with the latest conclusions from LeasePlan's 2021 EV Readiness Index revealing that the UK is one of the best prepared countries in Europe. Charging infrastructure, however, continues to be a major roadblock preventing EV adoption across the continent.

2021 EV Readiness Index

LeasePlan's 2021 EV Readiness Index - a comprehensive analysis of the preparedness of 22 European countries for the electric vehicle revolution - revealed that the UK remains one of the top three best prepared European countries for the EV revolution, behind only Norway and The Netherlands. The Index is based on three factors: EV registrations, the maturity of EV infrastructure, and government incentives in each country.

UK leading the charge

The UK is one of the few leading the charge when it comes to total cost of ownership. Thanks to government incentives like 0% Benefit-in-Kind tax, the UK scored 'good' or 'excellent' across the board.

Rate of improvement slowing

However, despite some progress being made in 2020 on charging infrastructure, the rate of improvement actually dropped across Europe compared to last year (43% increase rate in 2020 compared to 73% increase in 2019). Plus, looking at public chargers relative to population, the UK sits in 10^th place behind leading countries such as The Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, and Sweden.

"It's great to see the UK ranking as one of the top three countries in Europe for EV readiness, but that doesn't mean we don't still have a long way to go. A lack of charging infrastructure continues to be a real barrier to adoption, particularly in rural areas. The UK needs to address this and deliver on a strategy that takes the entire population into consideration, otherwise we risk falling behind. Now is the time to make a difference, and it needs to happen fast. We've seen the positive impact of cleaner roads and less emissions during the pandemic, so let's keep going and ensure these learnings weren't in vain. The pressure is on for leaders within businesses and the government alike to accelerate EV adoption - a giant step in helping to save our planet."

Alfonso Martinez Managing Director of LeasePlan UK

Increase across continent

Most nations saw vast improvement in their score this year, but the rate of which varies significantly across the continent, with Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic having both the lowest scores and the slowest improvement rate. This underlines the continued disparity between Western and Eastern Europe in terms of EV readiness.

What's next in EV's report

The EV Readiness Index 2021 is published as part of LeasePlan's new 'What's next in EVs' report. The report provides detailed insights into the latest trends, models and technology that will shape the EV industry in 2021, as well as in-depth analysis on the EV readiness of each country.

Discover more on demand

Watch 'What's next in EVs' webinar on demand with Robert Llewellyn of Fully Charged as well as LeasePlan's Chief Commercial Officer, Berno Kleinherenbrink. You can access the webinar on the LeasePlan website

Notes to Editors

The EV Readiness Index 2021 is:

LeasePlan is at the forefront of the clean mobility revolution: in 2020, the company saw its EV registrations double. Last year, EVs made up 15.9% of LeasePlan's newly ordered lease vehicles (which far outpaces the market in every Index country)
LeasePlan has committed itself to achieving net zero emissions from its total fleet by 2030. LeasePlan is also a founding partner of The Climate Group's EV100 initiative, a global business initiative designed to fast-track the uptake of EVs and infrastructure among the world's leading corporations

Published at 6 July 2021

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6 July 2021