Getting EV chargers up to speed – what the UK can learn from Norway

GETTING EV CHARGING UP TO SPEED — WHAT THE UK CAN LEARN FROM NORWAY

Effie Vraka, Head of UK Operations, Easee International, talks about what the UK can learn from Norway’s success in promoting and enabling the use of EVs to help meet net zero targets.

One way to address the urgent need for more accessible chargers is to fit them at homes and workplaces As part of the government’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Prime Minister recently confirmed that “the UK will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, 10 years earlier than planned.” This is an ambitious target – especially as it will require both a scaling up of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing and a rapid roll out of fast-charging capability across the country. But the good news is we know it is possible.

We only need to look at Norway to see that rapid growth in the adoption of EVs can be achieved. According to Statistica, nearly half of new domestic vehicles sold in Norway in 2020 were battery powered EVs (BEVs), compared to less than 7% in the UK. Norway is also ahead of the UK in terms of its EV charging infrastructure and on target for banning the sales of diesel and petrol cars – which is currently set at 2025.

So, if Norway is already where the UK wants to be in five years’ time, the obvious question arises: what can the UK learn from the Norwegian experience?

The primary reason that more UK citizens aren’t switching to EVs is the lack of charging infrastructure

Create the incentive

To be fair, Norway did start with some natural advantages. The country has a population of just 5.5 million, and a plentiful supply of affordable clean electricity from hydro-electric power. But the government also encouraged the uptake of BEVs with very generous incentive schemes. The UK is itself on the road to creating plentiful clean electricity through the rapid expansion of offshore wind – and this is a big step in the right direction. The UK should therefore also consider similar incentives to those offered by the Norwegian government, including exemption from road tax, import tax, purchase tax and VAT. Norway also offered free municipal parking for EV drivers – something that might appeal to UK drivers, where parking can be very expensive.

Provide the infrastructure

A recent study by Kwik Fit found that the primary reason that more UK citizens aren’t switching to EVs is the lack of charging infrastructure. But addressing that issue is no small problem. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK needs to reach 2.3 million charge points in time for the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars. That would require installing 700 chargers a day for the next nine years – over 16 times the current rate.

One way to address the urgent need for more accessible chargers is to fit them at homes and workplaces, where cars are often standing idle for hours at a time. In Norway, home EV charging really took off five years ago, and the same is happening in Germany right now. Thanks to government incentives, German citizens effectively get a charger for free when they switch to driving an EV. This scheme is proving so successful that Easee, as one of the main suppliers there, is having to scale up to meet demand.

Choose the right solution

Finding the right solution is key to speeding up the EV charging infrastructure roll out. Easee, despite being just three years old, already accounts for one in every two EV chargers in Norway, largely because its products are designed for maximum convenience. Each charger takes around eight minutes to install – less than the time it takes to assemble an Ikea bookshelf. When (like the UK) you’re looking to install 700 chargers a day, that’s a lot of time saved.

The unique design of the Easee charger also makes it really simple for customers to add or remove charging points. The charger is mounted on a back plate which can be fitted with a blank cover – so an electrician can come and fit three backplates for example, and just one actual charger. If the customer buys another EV they can simply clip another charger onto a pre-fitted back plate and they’re good to go. This modular system is particularly useful for apartment blocks and workplaces, where demand can vary, and is likely to grow.

Easee chargers also have an intelligent system that enables them to optimise the use of available current between several EVs – so they can in effect be ‘daisy chained’ onto one power supply. This avoids the need to dig up the road each time a new charger is added – and could greatly increase the speed of rollout across the UK.

Be open minded

Final advice from Norway on how the UK can increase uptake of EVs is ‘be open minded’. As more people in the UK begin to adopt EVs, the number of advocates for the technology will grow, and the momentum will increase. With the right incentives and a ‘work smarter not harder’ approach, anything is possible.

Easee, easee-international.com

When it comes to EV charging, it pays to work with the experts.