THE EV CHARGING REVOLUTION: ARE YOU JOINING?

The year 2020 heralds the start of a new decade and the UK Government is providing a £1.5billion funding package with the aim of 50% - 70% of new car sales and up to 40% of van sales to be of the ultra-low emission standard by 2030. Climate Change and associated protests around the world have meant many countries have set bans on the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans to start as soon as 2025.

Public protests and general discontent have meant the government are having serious conversations about the need to switch to this eco-friendlier mode of transport. But where can you charge? How much power do you need? How long will it take to charge your vehicle? These are just a few questions that newcomers to the EV revolution are asking as they question how convenient EVs are.

Paul Whitnell has recently switched to an EV; “I think it’s important for us all to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint, and so far, so good!” Says Paul; “I was doing so much driving on behalf of BITA, I felt it essential take a step back and reassess our needs, and the impact our organisation was having on the environment. We are now electric and are telecommuting more often as well.”

There are now more than 25,000 charging points across the UK, by the end of 2020 this is expected to reach 100,000, a remarkable increase. With more charging points, newer technology and more affordable vehicles entering the market, going electric is more accessible than ever.

The average person in the U.K drives 26 miles a day and the average person in London drives just 6 miles per day. With electric vehicles now boasting ranges of nearly 400 miles per full charge, the vast majority of people will be completely covered and there is no longer much need for range anxiety. So the EVs are living up to expectations, leaving us to beg the question; is the infrastructure ready?

“The need to develop a cleaner alternative to traditional ICE engine systems is clear, but the sheer ubiquity of the petrol station and the few minutes it takes to refill a car continue to make these vehicles an attractive option for many.” Says Alexander Pocklington- Principal Assessment Engineer at Croydon Council; “To encourage the switch to better technology, it is vital to have an EV infrastructure including high-capacity charging points distributed across the country. Affordable, upgradable and modular charging points are key to this as they will allow significant investment in advance to the essential infrastructure which can then be brought online as demand rises, instead of an expensive constant patchwork of noninteroperable systems.”

Although charge points are increasing, we aren’t at this point yet, and won’t be for a while. Although publicly available charge points are more common, by far the best way to charge your EV is to focus on home, work and destination charging. This typically offers a lower charging rate which enables network operators to better manage peak charging times. It also means that they can delay the expensive network upgrades that are usually required for higher-powered, rapid chargers. This means that more people can go electric whilst managing the effect on the national grid.

THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 25,000 CHARGING POINTS ACROSS THE UK, BY THE END OF 2020 THIS IS EXPECTED TO REACH 100,000

Imagine everyone leaving the house every morning with a full tank of petrol, how often would we stop at a forecourt on an average month? The answer for most is hardly ever. With an electric vehicle this is now a reality, we have the ability to charge it at home and leave the house every morning with full range. Very convenient and at a small fraction of the price of petrol.

Vince Dignam is the Business and Improvements Manager at The City of London, and very much a convert of the EV revolution; “With the first zero-emission street coming to London (Beech street) it is clear that we need to act now to put the right infrastructure in place for electric vehicles in London and the UK.” When asked what are the plans for the future of The City of London, Vince says “[The City of London] is working towards having a fully electric fleet by 2025, most recently we have been trialling fully electric 18-Tonne refuse collection vehicles along with an 18-Tonne mechanical sweeper, these are now being built and have been ordered. We are working tirelessly on infrastructure, introducing smart charging points at our depots in the square mile.”

It will always be a struggle, if not impossible, to change the whole world to EV technology overnight (especially the Jeremy Clarksons of the planet), but creating more charge points, increasing the range of the EV, and spiralling petrol and deasil costs mean that more people are being converted.

Against this, tackling global warming seems like an insurmountable chance, we all think that small actions won’t make a difference, but en masse we are no longer talking about small actions but a tide of change. We can all take steps to reduce our carbon footprints and with the current changes, EVs seem like a good place to start.

Ryan Dignam – Director of Marketwide NRG