ChargePoint Q&A: The Challenges with EV Charging

Availability of charging for electric vehicles (EVs) is one of consumer’s biggest concerns with adopting the more sustainable tech.

ChargePoint provides EV charging stations, software and services to support the adoption of more environmentally friendly vehicles. 

Joe Gorman is Interim Vice President, Europe at ChargePoint, a role covering a range of its capabilities across different segments including fleets, workplaces and public charging. 

He previously spent more than two decades working in telecoms, an industry that, like EVs, began as a disruptive space before developing into a crucial industry. 

Joe shares his expertise with Energy Digital.

What is ChargePoint and how does it positively contribute to the energy and EV spaces?

ChargePoint is an innovator in all realms of EV charging, aiming to simplify the transition to electric vehicles for both the institutions who offer charging and drivers who have an EV. 

We do this via our extensive portfolio of charging solutions. We have one of the most extensive ranges of software solutions in the world, including our cloud software platform for drivers and fleet managers. 

For those who don’t wish to manage their charging solutions, our software can do that for them. For those who do, we offer fully bespoke capabilities upon which they can build their own charging business. 

Our solutions are crafted to cater to every charging need; residential, parking, retail, hospitality, workplace or all types of transport fleets.

What challenges are associated with installing EV charging infrastructure in flats and multifamily housing?

When a building is only occupied by one family or household, as is the case with detached and semi-detached homes, the occupants can choose to install EV charging without needing to reach a consensus with neighbours or landlords. 

However, installing charging infrastructure in buildings shared by multiple occupants, such as flat blocks, requires more forward planning. 

Landlords must determine charging needs, make upfront investments and determine how many chargers can be installed without overwhelming the local electricity grid. 

For older properties, there may be additional layers of complexity.

What impact do you think these challenges are having on the adoption of EVs? 

Battery EVs secured a record market share of 19.6% in 2024. Yet, this fell short of the Government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate target, which required 22% of all vehicles registered to be zero emission. 

To bridge this gap, facilitating charging near home is essential, as drivers often prioritise convenience of charging in their buying decision.

How is ChargePoint addressing these challenges?

Affordable and efficient charging solutions are the answer to the residential charging challenge in the UK. 

ChargePoint offers Level 2 AC chargers suitable for use in multifamily settings like flat buildings, allowing landlords to reduce the cost of installing charging and improving accessibility for residents. 

Equally, ChargePoint’s software allows for smart power sharing, so that multiple residents can safely charge their car at the same time and pay for their own energy usage, in addition to maximising the number of vehicles which can charge where electricity may be infrastructure-limited.

How do you see the demand for EV infrastructure evolving in urban residential settings?

The UK’s EV market is growing significantly, with registrations for battery EVs seeing a year-on-year increase of 56.8% from 2023 to 2024. 

Government incentives such as lower company car tax rates, combined with ongoing improvements in urban charging infrastructure, are likely to result in more Brits opting for an EV in 2025.

Charging options in cities will continue to evolve this year, making it easier than ever to charge EVs overnight at home or at work, as well as in public charging locations. 

Residential options will always be popular, but as businesses provide more EVs as company cars, demand for workplace charging will increase regardless of population density. 

To facilitate this rapid electrification, reliable charging solutions will be required in locations that are convenient for drivers.  

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