Petrol and diesel-powered vehicles are the largest contributor to the UK’s CO2 emissions. To meet the UK’s net zero commitments, emissions need to fall quickly. We are not currently on track because improvements in vehicle efficiency have been more than offset by the growth in the size of cars, obvious if you walk around Dulwich. We need (a) to reduce how much we drive and (b) swap to electric vehicles (EV), smaller if possible. Currently 4% of existing cars and 23% of new car sales are EVs; by comparison, in Norway the equivalent figures are 26% and 90%. So, we have some way to go.
First, let’s look at some basics.
- EVs are not a panacea. Like fossil fuel cars they create congestion and road danger and they emit some pollutants, though they are far less polluting than a fossil fuel car.
- Running an EV car is cheaper than a fossil fuel car, because you pay no vehicle excise duty (until 2025) and servicing costs are very low. Parking permits are cheaper. In Lambeth, the annual cost to park an EV in a CPZ is £128; an equivalently-sized fossil fuel car is up to £500.
- You may have read that CO2 emissions of EV cars are high when you take into account the manufacturing process. It’s right that the manufacturing process is more carbon intensive, but, given the extent to which UK electricity has already decarbonised, the EV very quickly (probably within the first 18 months) becomes more carbon efficient, and over a lifetime will be responsible for a small fraction of the CO2 of a fossil fuel car. Of course, walking, cycling or public transport are better, and in urban areas a cargo bike can be a great alternative.
- There are ethical and environmental concerns about metal mining associated with batteries, but the same is the case for the extraction of oil and gas; more positively, nearly all the battery, including the metals, will end up being recycled.
- You may have heard that charging is difficult because of the number of different cables or complicated payment requirements. Most cars (apart from Teslas) now use the EU wide “CCS” type, so that problem has gone. My experience is that most chargers are now pretty easy: most just require the tap of a debit or credit card or, at worst, that you download an app.
Anecdotally, a key reason people are reluctant to go electric is “range anxiety”. EV charging facilities are being rolled out quickly - the situation is already much better than it was 2-3 years ago. In September 2024 Southwark Council published its “Electric Vehicle Plan”, which explains how it intends to facilitate the required growth in charging infrastructure within Southwark, including Dulwich.
Before we get into the Plan itself, let me try to demystify EV charging.
My standard EV family car, a Skoda (oh, the glamour), has an 80kWh battery. Skoda claims a range of 270 miles. I can vouch it can get to Yorkshire without a charge. In practical terms, on a long drive it needs charging less often than the driver needs a break. It’s best not to charge above 80% or go below 20-30%, so a standard large charge is about 50kWh. If you’re charging on or near a motorway or A road, you will use a rapid charger, capable of 75-150kW or even more, which means it’ll take 20-40 minutes to charge the car - about the time it takes to grab a coffee or bite to eat. But you only need to charge en route on a long journey. I have not had any difficulties finding chargers; I use the “Zapmap” app to find them. All of this makes driving an EV pretty easy, and you’ll be surprised how much easier, quieter and smoother they are than a petrol or diesel car. I would not go back.
So, unless you’re on a long journey, your charging will probably be done overnight at or near to home. The chargers you see in lampposts or on driveways are about 4-5kW, so a 50kWh charge is 10-12 hours. If you’re trailing a lead across the pavement (more on that later) you’ll be lucky to get 2-3kW so the charge will take a lot longer.
Southwark aims to introduce more slow EV chargers (primarily lamppost types) so that all residents are within a 5-minute walking distance of a public charge point by 2026. Dulwich has been identified as a “pocket of inaccessibility”, in that there are not enough at the moment. They plan for 40 rapid chargepoints (of which there are currently none) by 2026. All of this seems sensible and necessary. What it doesn’t address, though, is the cost of electricity from public chargers. Southwark is not alone in this: the problem is London-wide.
Let’s put the cost in some perspective. The kWh/mile of an EV varies by the nature of the journey (higher for urban, lower for motorway) and temperature (the range is reduced in cold weather), but a reasonable estimate is 50kWh will get you about 165 miles. Fossil fuel efficiency also varies a lot. Let’s say 16.5 litres of petrol gets you 165 miles. At current rates, that’s about £22 at the petrol pump.
What about the cost of electricity? Domestic electricity charges are about 25p/kWh, and they can be lower on overnight rates. As for public chargers, the National Chargepoint Registry lists 107 chargers in Dulwich Village. They are all operated by Char.gy, which charges 59p/kWh or 39p/kWh between 12am and 7am. Rapid chargers can be 75p/kWh or even more. The difference is striking.
One of the consequences of the very high rates charged by the on-street chargers in Dulwich is that, if they can, many people charge their cars kerbside from a cable running from their house, which can cause obstructions. Southwark Council is looking into conduits which would permit this, but, as things stand, the Southwark EV Plan is (understandably) firmly against running cables over pavements. Also, regular charging from a normal domestic plug is not recommended from a fire safety perspective.
However, given the significant price differential between domestic and public charging electricity costs, there is a risk that residents will seek to use their front gardens for car parking. This is bad for aesthetics, ecology and wildlife, flooding and safety.
Dulwich Society has challenged Southwark Council about the cost of EV charging. In response they said the cost includes infrastructure, operation and maintenance of the charging network, and VAT at 20% compared against 5% VAT for domestic electricity. They have said that they are currently looking at possible improvements to EV charging and they will focus on reducing tariffs. They are also looking into the Council becoming an operator.
I would suggest a greater variety of providers is the obvious answer. Have different companies compete with each other on the same street. In any event, it seems unlikely that the Southwark EV Plan is the last word on this important subject. We shall see.
By James Leabeater, DS Environment Group member