EasyPark: The Future of European Parking – Demand for Electric Cars and Free Parking Spots

According to a new European survey conducted by the tech company EasyPark Group, a majority of the Europeans are considering buying an electric vehicle, either as their next car or in the near future. Searching for a parking spot is what annoys people the most about parking, and the survey also shows that the ability to easily find a free parking spot is the innovation that most people are looking for in the future.

In an extensive European survey, the tech company EasyPark Group explores attitudes and behaviors towards mobility in general and parking in particular. The results show that the interest for electric vehicles is huge among Europeans, and more than half of the population (51%) says they are considering buying an electric car. According to those who already own an electric car today, there are however challenges with too few charging stations, that the charging stations are difficult to find and that the charging is too slow.

"It is very positive that there is great interest in electric cars throughout Europe, and it is a clear indication that the demands on the ecosystem supporting both ownership and usage will increase significantly. At EasyPark Group we are proud to be a part of the shift people are looking for, by providing necessary solutions to vehicle charging as easily as possible", says Johan Birgersson, CEO at EasyPark Group.

The survey also concludes that approximately one third (29%) of Europeans are currently using parking apps to pay for parking. The numbers vary between countries and in Sweden for example, they are twice as high with more than two thirds of the population using parking apps. Not having to deal with coins along with the opportunity to flexibly adapt one's parking time on the go are two of the main benefits according to the respondents.

Looking at the parking experience, what annoys people the most is having to look for free parking spots (36%). More than one third (32%) have trouble finding a parking spot at least once a month. In southern Europe, the corresponding number is 50 percent. The ability to easily be directed to free parking spaces is also the innovation that most Europeans (39%) are looking for in the future.

"I think most drivers can agree that circulating the city searching for an available spot isn’t a pleasant experience. It also means unnecessary emissions from fossil fuel vehicles. Therefore, we continue to work on improving our intelligent service Find, which is based on data and AI to help drivers find available parking spaces, directly in the EasyPark app. For the cities where Find is already implemented, this is an important milestone in making cities more sustainable and liveable", says Johan Birgersson.

Among EasyPark’s users, the function people value the most is the opportunity to start, stop and extend one’s parking session flexibly.

Findings

• In total, more than half of Europeans (51%) say they are considering buying an electric vehicle either as their next car or sometime in the future.
• Among electric car owners, 18 percent identify too few charging stations as one of the main obstacles when charging the car at a public station. 13 percent think it is hard to find charging stations, and 13 percent think that the charging is too slow.
• 29 percent of the European respondents say they have used a parking app to pay for parking during the last six months. In the south of Europe, the number is 26 percent whereas in the Nordic countries, the number is 41 percent.
• The main benefits of using a parking app is, according to the respondents, no need to pay with coins (32%), being able to flexibly adapt parking time from everywhere without going to the parking meter (28%) and saving money as one only pays for the actual parking time (23%).
• What annoys the respondents most about parking is having to search for a parking spot (36%) and narrow parking spots (33%).
• In total, 32 percent say they have trouble finding a parking spot at least once a month. In Spain, Italy and France the number is 50 percent, whereas in the Nordics, it is 22 percent. On average, more than one third (33%) of the respondents spend between 5-20 minutes looking for parking.
• The parking innovation that most respondents look for in the future is the ability to easily be directed to a free parking spot (39%), followed by automatic payment of parking sessions (30%).
• Among EasyPark’s users, 26 percent say the function they value the most is to be able to start, stop and extend one’s parking session flexibly.
• In total, 21 percent of the European respondents say they have used a parking app to park in a parking garage or gated parking area. In the Nordics, the corresponding number is 40 percent. The main benefit of parking garages/gated parking areas is, according to the respondents, security (50%).
• When parking abroad, understanding foreign signs and rules is what the respondents think is most difficult (20%), followed by how to pay (17%).

About the survey

The survey was completed by the global public opinion and data company YouGov on behalf of EasyPark Group between August 23-28, 2021. In total, the survey included 16 574 respondents from Denmark, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

About EasyPark Group 

EasyPark is a fast-growing, leading European tech company that helps drivers find and manage parking and EV charging. Our technology helps businesses, operators, and cities with parking administration, planning, and management in over 2200 cities across 20 countries. What we do is make urban life easier – one parking spot at a time. Visit www.easyparkgroup.com to learn more!