Juice Technology believes that it is necessary to reintroduce some of the incentives that were removed in order to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and thus meet decarbonization goals.
“We need to regain the incentives we had,” stated Andrew Oakes, UK and Ireland Director at Juice Technology, in a conversation with Mobility Portal Europe.
“The main problem we currently face is that the benefits disappeared, and at the same time, electricity costs have risen, and inflation has increased. As a result, the reasons to choose an electric vehicle have disappeared,” he added.
It’s worth noting that in the UK, there was the “plug-in grant” that offered a discount on the purchase price of new cars.
“It started quite high, around £5,000. But it gradually reduced until it disappeared completely,” lamented Oakes.
Conversely, in places where incentives still exist, electric vehicle sales per capita are better.
If these figures don’t improve, the Northern European countries run the risk of not being able to meet their assumed decarbonization goals.
“In the UK, the original deadlines were set for 2030, but there is talk of this deadline being moved backwards,” Oakes commented.
“They probably won’t announce it soon because there’s an election next year. But in my opinion, it’s likely to happen because 2030 is very close, and we’re still a long way off achieving the goals,” he added.
Another challenge that the electromobility sector faces in the region is related to the lack of charging infrastructure, which creates a “lack of confidence” when it comes to purchasing an electric vehicle.
“If I have to take a long journey, I have to cross my fingers tohope that the places where I want to charge are going to be working. But it also often happens that all the chargers are full,” explained the Director at Juice Technology.
“This shows that the market is taking shape, but it also means that there is a kind of charger anxiety, not range anxiety,” he added.
To address these challenges, Oakes believes that the government and the private sector need to work together.
Juice Technology plans to expand to other regions
In Northern Europe, the company is active in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
All operations in this region are managed by the UK-based team.
Oakes acknowledged that “the plan is to continue expansion and extend in the business reach.”
“Juice Technology is known as the portable charging company, that’s what makes us unique and unusual. We’re not just another wallbox manufacturer,” he added.
Next-generation of products
At the latest event hosted by Mobility Portal Europe, Christophe Erni, founder and CEO of Juice Technology, mentioned that the company has begun developing the next generation of products.
This involves a “hybrid” device that will combine the experience in both fixed and mobile charging.
“Juice is known for its portable equipment, but we also manufacture wallboxes and fixed charging units. We are working right now on the next generation of products,” stated Oakes.
The device is currently being designed, taking into consideration consumer needs. The company will soon make announcements.
“We will probably host a press event to show people what the product is and what it does because it is unique and uncommon,” said Oakes.
Read more: The UK will invest €444 million in charging infrastructure
