11 million electric vehicles forecast to hit UK roads by 2040 creating a £150 billion opportunity for utilities, Accenture finds

Utilities must act now to create new eMobility experiences to boost competitive agility

LONDON: 9th May 2019 – With 1 million Electric Vehicles (EVs) forecast to hit UK roads by 2025 and 11 million by 2040 as consumers increasingly purchase EVs over conventional vehicles, utilities companies are presented with a £150 billion eMobility opportunity, according to new research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

The Utilities: Lead the Charge in eMobility report from Accenture Strategy found that utilities stand to make significant competitive gains by bundling services for EV owners. Besides a £130 billion opportunity from providing low-margin electricity for EVs in the UK, utilities can add £15 billion of higher-margin new eMobility services such as remote charging apps, integrated home-EV energy management, payment processing and financing for EV purchases. By combining these services on a single platform, utilities can optimise system performance and help improve the overall EV customer experience.

"Companies that can help make EV ownership easy and affordable for consumers will accelerate adoption and improve competitiveness across their industries. UK consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on a company’s purpose and their commitment to important principles such as improving the environment, which will aid adoption,” said Justin Keeble, managing director, Accenture Strategy. “Utilities are uniquely positioned to play a significant role in the eMobility market by providing differentiated and meaningful customer experiences, while making critical ecosystem partnerships."

According to an additional study by Accenture Strategy surveying 500 consumers in the UK, environmental reasons are the main purchasing driver of EVs today, followed by the cost-saving opportunities they offer. Sixty percent of future EV owners in the UK would switch to an EV to save money in the long term. However, while battery technology continues to advance and new leasing options arise, purchasing costs of EVs and access to charging—such as domestic energy systems or public charging stations—remain a barrier to ownership. For example, 87 percent of UK consumers who intend to be future EV owners plan to charge their vehicles primarily from their homes, but only 46 percent have their own garage.

Utilities can capitalise on this opportunity if they take key actions that will accelerate EV adoption and claim their industry role as the market driver, including:

1. Help customers make the right choices: With the trust of their customers and the trove of customer insights they have access to—from consumption patterns to payment preferences and home-charging abilities—utilities are well placed to help customers make the right choices as they switch to EV ownership.
2. Create hyper-relevance through ecosystems: Creating ecosystem partnerships will be critical to establishing a platform approach for bundling highly relevant offerings that will enhance the customer experience. Utilities can select complementary partners that will boost the customer value proposition—from car manufacturers and dealers to fleet operators, charge point operators, ride-sharing companies and parking space owners. With the right incentives, joint offerings will benefit EV owners and multiply value to all ecosystem partners.
3. Outpace the competition: Leveraging real-time customer insights to rapidly improve or iterate customer services and experiences will be key to outmanoeuvring the competition. Utilities should strategically invest in a portfolio of services aimed at simplifying ownership experiences and removing barriers to adoption.

For more information about the report, visit: https://www.accenture.com/eMobility.

About the Research
The Accenture Strategy Utilities: Lead the Charge in eMobility report is based on geographic level value scenario modeling and a survey of 6,000 consumers, conducted between August and October of 2018, in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions—underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network—Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 477,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Strategy combines deep industry expertise, advanced analytics capabilities and human-led design methodologies that enable clients to act with speed and confidence. By identifying clear, actionable paths to accelerate competitive agility, Accenture Strategy helps leaders in the C-suite envision and execute strategies that drive growth in the face of digital transformation. For more information, follow @AccentureStrat or visit www.accenture.com/strategy.

Contact:
Andy Rowlands
andy.rowlands@accenture.com
07952 594 784