EV Charge Clever

Ben Fox: EV Charge Clever

By Sarah Ridgway

Last year the government announced that from 2030, the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would be banned. This marks a significant turning point for climate action in the UK as we move to zeroemission vehicles. This news, alongside money for building more charging infrastructure, will help to make electric vehicles more accessible.

Plugin electric vehicles account for approximately10% of the road, in 2015 it was just 1%. These numbers reflect the demand for electric vehicles and the decline for ice vehicles. To deal with this, the government announced additional grants to cut the costs, offering additional grants for electric car buyers, and more funding for charge points. EVs have many advantages, most notably their environmental benefits, as they have no tailpipe emissions. EVs are cheaper to fuel than a petrol or diesel car, especially when charging at home and because they are equipped with fewer moving parts, they are cheaper to maintain, service and repair; so it really is a win-win situation.

The UK is moving towards an all-electric future, and now is the perfect time to invest in an electric vehicle. Ben Fox, Founder of EV Charge Clever, spoke to Lancashire Magazine about the company and the innovative benefits it offers its customers. EV Charge Clever installs charging points for your home and business. In addition they provide battery storage and solar paneling which can cut household bills by up to fifty percent, depending on what tariff you’re on. Tell us how EV Charge Clever started I have been installing EV charging points for over six years. At the beginning people were apprehensive with it being a new technology. With no feasible alternative I knew the growth of plug-in electric cars was only going to increase, so I decided to start my own business. I could see that the current infrastructure in place would struggle to keep up demand and would not support the predicted growth of EVs. That’s why I founded EV Charge Clever. Tell us about what inspired you I am a trained electrician with a huge interest in inexpensive, environment friendly transportation. I am aware an infrastructure to support electric cars needs to be built. Therefore, I gained qualifications to become an Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installer. I was one of very few who got the qualification, thus becoming the main installer at the company I worked at, and this is what inspired me. The lack of interest and passion in building the charge point framework to support the expansion of electric vehicles was evident. If we don’t start to build it now, we won’t be able to keep up with demand in the future. 30% of C02 comes from transportation and 72% of these emissions come from road transportation. There is a direct correlation between C02 emissions and asthma, along with global warming. The quicker we start getting petrol and diesel cars off the road, the better it will be for everybody and the planet. What makes your EV Charge Clever unique? The business officially launched in November and what makes us stand out is our passion! This is all we do,

and we provide a personal experience to all our customers, taking them through the installation process step by step and finding the best costeffective option for them.

To charge an electric vehicle at home will cost around £15 giving you a range of 200 miles, the petrol equivalent would be around £40 which is a huge discrepancy. Currently, there is inequality in the EV market. If you have an electric car and efficiently utilise the battery storage with solar panels, then your bills could be halved. If you are on a lower income, you can’t take advantage of this. I believe this to be unfair, so I’m trying to do something about it to make the industry more inclusive and accessible. At present, EVs only suit people with access to off-street parking, which excludes residents in terraced housing or those that do not have access to a driveway. We are building a prototype that will hopefully alleviate this issue.

The economic benefits of using our services could cut your household bills in half. Electricity usage is mainly during the day giving the rise to an off peak, on peak tariff. That’s where battery storage comes in, customers can charge their car battery at night and draw off it during the day. Add solar power and that’s another 15-20% off your bill. Moving forward with B2G technology on your EV charging point, you could even use your car How important is being a Lancashire Company?

It’s very important that we are grounded and understand the reality of living in this area with the impacts of the recent budget and the looming energy crisis. I want to make our service accessible and affordable to everyone. I am involved in every aspect of the company from the first point of contact, to the installation and the aftercare. Helping and investing in the local community as a company is paramount. EV Charge Clever are proud sponsors of Blackburn Rugby Club, of which I play for when work allows. In addition to this we are currently looking into sponsoring our local litter pickers who do an amazing job, they are the real eco heroes.

Four Reasons To Invest in an Electric Car

1. For environmental reasons and to preserve the planet. Travel shouldn’t cost the earth. 2. Cost, in the long term EVs are cheaper . 3. Switching to electric will soon be the only option available in the future, so stay ahead. 4. Convenience, you can charge your car outside your house at a time that suits you and is not affected by fuel shortages. Soon there will also be the option of induction/cordless charging, which means you won’t even have to plug the car in.

If you are thinking about introducing EV Charging for your home or business, we will conduct a site visit, determine the best power usage for your home or business and provide the best option to suit your needs. We will assess your incoming electrical supply, and your current energy usage, which will allow us to effectively install and commission with no disruption to your business or home. This will result in ensuring you have the most effective EV Charge Point available for you and/or your business. EV motorists are currently exempt from paying road tax and the congestion charge in London. The EV Charge Point grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing EV smart charge points for commercial businesses. EV Charge Clever will help you explore the discounts and navigate the government grants, we will even apply on your behalf.

Customers can choose from a single phase 7.2kw charger from £370. This is ideal for home use and would charge your car in under 10 hours, depending on the size of the battery. The mid-priced charge point currently retails at £600. Our 3-phase 22kw charger prices start at £780. You would expect to find these outside of a commercial premises, taking less than 6 hours to charge your car. The higher-priced chargers take payment so they can act as a revenue stream. The installation charge will be negotiated and based on the customers’ requirements. Once you have gone electric, EV Charge Clever also offers a 3-month free call out service, also available after on a monthly subscription. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation and quote to start investing in the future for your home or business. Remember, travel shouldn’t cost the earth.