Earlier this year, the EV Summit 2025 brought industry leaders together in the heart of Oxford, at the Blavatnik School of Government, to explore the future of electric mobility.
The mood was clear: progress depends on partnership, consumer confidence and the right charging infrastructure.
At Keyloop, we’re passionate about the technology that drives the industry forward; especially the education of new innovation – so we took our Drivetime podcast crew to the event to hear from a number of the speakers. The summit provided a strategic overview of the challenges and opportunities ahead. That meant we could highlight the innovations shaping the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Here are your essential event takeaways.
Overcoming hurdles in EV adoption
Throughout the summit, one message kept resurfacing: progress in EVs has been impressive, yet the road to mass adoption is still uneven.
On one side, existing EV drivers are overwhelmingly positive, with around 95% saying they wouldn’t go back to petrol or diesel. On the other, many mainstream car buyers are still unsure and stay on the sidelines.
Consumer confidence around charging is one of the biggest sticking points. Ginny Buckley, CEO of Electrifying.com, shared a striking insight: “60% of the people who didn’t drive an EV told us that they weren’t confident in how to charge one.” This isn’t a technology problem. It’s an education problem.
Ian Plummer from AutoTrader summed up the experience neatly: “Buying a car is not simple. Buying an electric car is even less simple because there are just more questions.” Turning that complexity into clear, accessible guidance is crucial for more drivers to make the switch.
Infrastructure creates another fault line, often called the “driveway divide”. Around 40% of UK households don’t have off-street parking, so home charging simply isn’t an option for a large share of drivers. For them, reliable public charging isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation of a fair and scalable transition to electric.
The infrastructure imperative: Charging ahead
Infrastructure came up again and again, not just in terms of how many charge points exist, but how easy they are to find, use and pay for. Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, offered a positive snapshot, noting there are “over 85,000 charge points at the moment in the UK and it’s growing at about 30% a year.”
But volume is only part of the story. The conversation is shifting towards the quality, reliability and inclusivity of the charging experience. Speakers highlighted the need for a genuinely mixed ecosystem, including:
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On-street and destination charging
Options for drivers without driveways, such as kerbside chargers and charge points at shops, gyms and car parks. -
En-route charging
High-speed hubs along major routes that make long-distance EV travel simple and predictable. -
HGV and fleet solutions
As Chris Pritchett from Shoosmiths and Amy Stokes from Volvo Trucks explained, heavy goods vehicles need huge grid connections and dedicated infrastructure, which creates a very different set of challenges.
Government support is starting to unlock some of this, with initiatives such as the £25 million grant for cross-pavement charging and the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. As Sarah Sloman of PayThru stressed, creating seamless, consistent payment experiences across networks is just as important. Get that right and charging stops being a barrier.
Innovative solutions and emerging technologies
The summit didn’t just talk about the future. It showcased practical innovation that’s already being deployed, solving real problems for drivers, retailers and the grid.
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L): This technology allows EVs to act as mobile batteries by powering homes, tools or even feeding energy back into the grid. For drivers this unlocks new value from their vehicle. For the wider network it supports grid stability at peak times.
- Battery technology: Progress in battery technology is easing concerns about range and cost. Speakers highlighted the potential of solid state batteries for higher energy density and improved safety. We’ve also seen a rise of specialist battery repair facilities that extend a vehicle’s life and improve its total cost of ownership.
- Partnerships and integration: Collaboration emerged as a critical success factor. Kate Jeffries from OVO spoke about their partnership with Volvo. OVO’s Charge Anytime offer is integrated directly into the manufacturer app, for ease of use. This kind of joined up service makes charging effortless for the customer, with tangible benefits such as 2,700 free miles included.
The voice of the industry: Key perspectives
Interviews with industry leaders provided invaluable insights into how different sectors are approaching the EV transition.
Steve Catlin, Managing Director at Vauxhall, spoke of the manufacturer’s commitment to making EVs more accessible. He highlighted their move to offer price parity between electric and petrol equivalents, a significant step in lowering the barrier to entry for consumers.
Adam Wood, Managing Director at Renault UK, shared the success of the Renault 5 launch, which has attracted a new generation of EV buyers. Over 70% of Renault 5 customers are first-time EV buyers, proving that exciting and accessible products can drive market change.
Amy Stokes, Head of Electromobility at Volvo Trucks, provided a pragmatic view on electrifying commercial vehicles. While acknowledging the challenges of range and payload, she confirmed, “the technology is here and will do the job” for many use cases today, with next-generation trucks promising ranges up to 600km.
The road ahead: A future fuelled by data and experience
The EV Summit 2025 painted a picture of an industry in dynamic transition. The path forward requires a fusion of technology, strategic partnerships and a relentless focus on the customer experience. You can watch or listen into these conversations in full on the Drivetime podcast with YouTube, Apple or Spotify.
The journey to full EV adoption is a marathon, not a sprint. The insights from the summit confirm that by working together, simplifying the message, and investing in smart infrastructure, the automotive industry can successfully drive into an electric future.
At Keyloop, we believe that connection is the key driver of innovation. By creating a connected ecosystem, we can empower retailers and OEMs to navigate this complex EV landscape. Providing a 360-degree view of both the customer and the vehicle is essential. This allows retailers to pair the right vehicle with the right customer and deliver the seamless, intuitive experiences that modern consumers demand.
