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WELCOME3EVolution | September 2021
The Space Age is here again
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People like the idea of living in a world of flying cars and robots... it sounds like a cartoon
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Generations A to Z will soon have a chance to road test the Space Age dream. The government is planning legislation which will allow the roll-out of self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2025. Let’s hope that real world experience of autonomous vehicles is more reliable than that imagined by Hanna-Barbera’s animators!
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But is not just Gen A that appears to have a Jetsonian vision of the future. When asked about the technology they were most excited about, their parents would also like to live in a world of robots, flying and autonomous cars. It is reassuring that the grown-ups did have some more nuanced views, expressing a desire to see travel become environmentally friendly and an interest in exploring the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI).
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It seems the spirit of George, Jane, Judy and Elroy Jetson, and Astro the Dog, is alive and well among the children who make up Generation Alpha, the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Z. Born from the mid-2010s, these kids are now at school.
The Jetsons was an animated comedy series of the 1960s that followed the adventures of a (literally) nuclear family of the future. It was packed full of wondrous, but comically unreliable, Space Age gadgets such as flying cars and robots.
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When it comes to predicting how we travel, Gen A appear to be very keen on ideas like teleportation, flying school buses and, of course, robots. This, at least, is what car company Hyundai discovered when it sought to understand how its future customers see the world.
Charging Provision consultation.
buildings with more than 10 parking spaces, one in every 10 would be expected to provide an EV chargepoint socket with a minimum 7kW rating. There are also requirements for residential and nonresidential buildings undergoing major renovation to provide chargepoints.Toupdatethe Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004, the Scottish Government will put forward secondary legislation for the consideration of the parliament by the end of the year.
New car market ends five months of decline ahead of plate change
“We also know that many households will not have access to dedicated parking spaces and that’s why earlier this year we announced our £60m EV Infrastructure Fund, to ensure that all households across Scotland can be confident that EV charging will be local, accessible and that they too can switch to zeroemission.“Wehave not forgotten existing residents, and continue to improve access to public chargers so that East Lothian now has one of the highest numbers of chargers per head of population in the UK.”
“We’ve already seen private developers delivering EV chargepoints as part of new builds in Scotland. They recognise that chargepoints are an attractive feature to have and offer convenience as part of a wider charging mix. These changes will provide a minimum standard that developers will need to consider going forward.
electric vehicle continuesuptaketogrow
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up a 14.5% market share of new car registrations in August, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders registrationsPlug-in(SMMT).hybrid(PHEV)fellby-23.1% to comprise 5.6% of monthly registrations. Plug-in vehicles accounted for one in five (20.2%) of registrations.August’sHybrid electric vehicle registrations remained stable, falling by just -0.7%.
To launch the proposals, the transport minister Jenny Gilruth joined East Lothian Council and Springfield Properties at Windygout South in Tranent to learn more about the work underway to provide chargepoints as part of a new housing development.
Transport minister Jenny Gilruth at the Windygout South housing development
zero transport system. This supports our ambition of phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 as part of our response to the global climate emergency.
NEWSBattery
The building regulations will mean that new residential buildings with a parking space have at least one EV chargepoint with a minimum 7kW rating. For new non-residential
4 EVolution | September 2022
The policy proposals have been published as part of a summary of responses to the consultation titled Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed Changes to Energy Standards Including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle
For the year to date, registrations are down by
Overall, the UK’s new car market rose by 1.2% in August – ending five months of decline. The growth, albeit marginal, is the first seen since February, with some 68,858 new vehicles joining the road during what is typically the second quietest month of the year as many buyers choose to
The Scottish Government will legislate to ensure developers provide electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in the construction of new residential and non-residential buildings.
wait for a ‘new’ numberplate in DespiteSeptember.the growth, August volumes were still the weakest for the month, bar 2021, since 2013 as supply chain pressures continued to constrain the market. Large fleet registrations fell by -1.6%, although this was offset by a 3.2% increase in deliveries to private consumers. Business customers saw the largest increase of 26.6%, but the sector is small in volume and
subject to Superminisvolatility.remained the most popular vehicle class, growing market share to 34.0% as 7.4% more of them were delivered to customers than in August 2021. Multipurpose, luxury saloon and lower medium vehicles also recorded growth of 31.0%, 1.5% and 1.3% respectively, while registrations of all other segments declined.
The proposals aim to support and encourage the growing uptake of electric vehicles by ensuring that all new homes, including flats, with a dedicated car parking space are built with an electric chargepoint.
Legislation will cover provision of chargepoints for new buildings in Scotland
Gilruth said: “We know that it is important to make charging as easy as possible to help make the switch to EV. I’m pleased to confirm that we will introduce legislation to ensure all new buildings are EV enabled. This step will help future proof Scotland’s buildings as we transition to a net
10.7% on last year at 983,099 units – more than a third (35.3%) lower than during the first eight months of prepandemic 2019 –demonstrating the scale of the challenge ahead in terms of recovery.MikeHawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “August’s new car market growth is welcome, but marginal during a low volume month. Spiralling energy costs and inflation on top of sustained supply chain challenges are piling even more pressure on the automotive industry’s postpandemic recovery, and we urgently need the new Prime Minister to tackle these challenges and restore confidence and sustainable growth. With September traditionally a bumper time for new car uptake, the next month will be the true barometer of industry recovery as it accelerates the transition to zero-emission mobility despite the myriad challenges.”
Source: SMMT
• Dorset
• Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as lead body)
The pilot is backed by £10m of government funding shared among the nine winning local authorities in the first tranche of the planned £450m scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9m in private funding.
A further £1.9m will come from public funds across local authorities.
£20m LEVI fund pilot unveiled
• the EVHS has funded the installation of 328,657 domestic charging devices
As of 1 July 2022:
5EVolution | September 2022 NEWS
Domestic Charging Devices
• Nottinghamshire
• Suffolk
• North Yorkshire
• 228 on-street charging devices were installed after being claimed for by the local authorities in the previous 3 months
NI infrastructure minister John O’Dowd said: “In order to tackle the decarbonisation of transport and address climate change we must seriously prioritise sustainable modes of transport. This offer of funding from OZEV and the match funding of £500,000 that I am making available to a local council consortium led by Derry City and Strabane District Council for 2021-22 applications, subject to public expenditure processes, is a further welcome boost to help accelerate the transition to zeroemission cars and vans.
As of 1 July 2022:
Workplace Charging Devices
• OZEV funded grant schemes (EVHS and DRS) have delivered 368,990 domestic charging devices since 2013
The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have better access to EV chargers, as well as growing the charging network across the country, supporting the nation’s uptake of zero-emission vehicles and enabling more people to drive and charge without fear of being caught short, no matter where they are.
Northern Ireland has received a £1.3m funding boost for electric vehicle chargepoints in residential areas from the UK Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). The funding award of £1,348,370 and match-funding from Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure of £500,000 will be used to assist local councils across the north with the installation of on-street electric vehicle chargepoints for local residents in a number of residential areas wishing to charge their plug-in electric vehicles that lack access to private off-street charging.
• Kent
• the EVHS funded 132,955 device installations since 1 July 2021, this is an increase of 62% compared to the previous 12-month period
As of 1 July 2022:
OZEV provides £1.3m for electric vehicle chargers
The UK government has funded the installation of around 400,000 electric vehicle chargers via three grantFiguresschemes.published by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) reveal that almost 370,000 of the chargers are in residential settings. These have been funded via the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) scheme.
Around 1,000 new electric vehicle chargepoints will be rolled out across via a pilot backed by £20m of government and industry funding.Working through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, local authorities and industry will work to create commercial EV charging infrastructure for residents, from faster chargepointson-streettolarger petrol station-style charging hubs.
• Barnet
• Warrington.
The winners of funding are:
Over 2,800 on-street residential chargers have been funded via the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).
Funding boost for Northern Ireland
NI Infrastructure minister John O’Dowd and Mayor of Derry Cllr Sandra Duffy
• the WCS has funded the installation of 31,239 sockets in workplace carparks since the scheme started in 2016
• the WCS funded 12,881 sockets installations since 1 July 2021, an increase of almost 52% compared to the previous 12-month period
Cllr Sandra Duffy, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, said:
“Derry City and Strabane District Council has been leading a consortium of local councils in the development of a funding bid for the OZEV On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). We are delighted to have been successful in what is the first ORCS application for Northern Ireland. The scheme will see 124 EV chargepoints installed in residential areas that do not have access to private offstreet parking and charging.”
• funding has also been awarded for 9,543 additional ORCS charging devices to be installed in the future.
has set up an EV Infrastructure Task Force which brings together representatives from government, consumers, energy providers, industry and EV drivers to consider our EV Infrastructure requirements. The task force will help set out a clear action plan by autumn 2022 to deliver a fit for purpose, modern EV charging network.”
• Durham
• the ORCS has funded 2,869 public charging devices which have been installed across local authorities in the UK
The funding is expected to deliver over 1,000 public chargepoints across the areas.
In addition, over 31,000 chargers in workplace settings have been backed via the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).
On-Street Residential Devices
“Having access to available and convenient chargepoints is another important step forward. My department
Government has funded 400k EV chargers
“With this data in hand, I hope that the Midlands’ local authorities can make an even more compelling case to government for support as we look to speed up the decarbonisation of our transport network.”
The LAEP+ tool will assist in the planning of electric vehicle charging assets
Midlands Connect has launched a new electric vehicle planning tool set to improve the process of deploying public charging points.
RESOP is developing the intuitive LAEP+ tool which will use a straightforward traffic light system in response to a ‘click and drag’ operation by the planning team in a local authority, to show whether a new energy asset could be accommodated on the existing network.
road parking. With this information in hand, the tool selects areas where public points are most needed.
Rhys Williams, innovation project manager for RESOP, said: “The RESOP project is the first of its kind, showcasing the benefits of data sharing and collaboration between utilities and local councils to produce cost-effective energy solutions that will help pave the way to net zero. As the operator of electricity distribution infrastructure, our work sits at the heart of the transition to net zero. SSEN is focussed on sharing the data that allows the best ‘whole system’ solution to be identified that supports local communities in their transition to net zero.”
The LAEP+ tool is currently being trialled by Dundee City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council, through the county council’s spatial mapping work in Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire). LEO is SSEN’s flagship innovation project, seeking to accelerate the UK’s transition to a zerocarbon electricity system.
The RESOP project shows constraints on the network, allowing local authorities to make better informed decisions about the placement of new energy assets.
Bryan Harris, sustainability and climate change manager at Dundee City Council, said: “The City of Dundee continues to take a leading role in the transition to net zero. Ensuring that the right low carbon investment decisions we make today will put us on the best footing for this challenge. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with SSEN to develop the RESOP tool which will take a ‘whole systems’ overview of the energy networks in our city and underpin the new Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy.”
make it easier for councils to identify sites where investment is needed most and will have the biggest positive“Publicimpact.chargepoints don’t just belong in the most affluent areas, or those places where electric vehicle take up is already booming, we need to ensure that no part of the Midlands region is left behind, and that councils are able to step in and deliver in communities where the private sector is unlikely to intervene.
NEWS6 EVolution | September 2022
A constraint is where the electricity network is unable to transmit power from the point of generation, or to the location of demand, due to congestion at one or more parts of the network.
Matt Pain, who developed the tool, said: “It’s really important that we support local authorities as they ramp up the installation of public electric vehicle chargers. This tool will
Withcompanies.theuptake of low carbon transport and heating, local authorities are finding themselves in the driving seat to plan the infrastructure that will support those choices. The Regional Energy System Optimisation Planning (RESOP) project is taking a ‘whole system’ approach, by drawing together data from multiple sources into a single tool that can be used to plan the roll-out of low carbon technologies (LCTs) such as charging points for electric vehicles. This will help local authorities by enabling LCTs to be sited in cost-effective locations whilst providing early warning to SSEN of additional demand on the network.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution has established partnerships with Dundee City Council, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council to trial novel tools that will help council planners locate energy assets by collaborating and sharing data with utility
RESOP is funded from £343,000 provided by Ofgem’s Network Innovation Allowance (NIA).
Ideal sites will likely be in areas with lower levels of off-road parking, where fewer people can charge electric vehicles at home. It’s also hoped that more chargers can be installed in areas where patchy public transport limits other sustainable transport options and in areas with higher levels of deprivation – where a lack of commercially-viable sites holds back private sector investment.
Inga Doherty, project LEO lead for Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We’re delighted to be working with SSEN to develop the LAEP+ tool in Project LEO. The whole system approach will help us make the most cost-effective decisions to support the local transition to net zero.”
Local authorities trial energy infrastructure planning tool developed by SSEN
By having access to this planning tool, it is anticipated that local
Helping councils go low carbon
authorities can more easily identify the most suitable sites for development and make a more compelling case for government funding.Previous analysis by Midlands Connect suggests that the Midlands needs 17,461 new public EV chargepoints by 2025 to keep pace with growing demand. By the end of the decade, it is predicted that one in every four cars will be electric. The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be outlawed from 2030.
The factors examined include how likely local people are to make the switch to an electric vehicle, accessibility to public transport, current electric vehicle uptake, levels of deprivation and the proportion of households with no access to off-
Midlands councils develop EV planning tool
The tool, which has been developed for local authorities across the Midlands, analyses data about local residents, their lives and behaviours to pinpoint sites where new chargers should be located.
UK shows a high level of demand for electric vehicles, but more rapid progress is constrained by lack of incentives and concerns over vehicle cost and charging availability, warns a report by consultants at PwC.
UK must shift out of second gear to realise e-mobility potential
The
PwC’s eReadiness study shows that EVs are currently seen as a status symbol in the UK, meaning breaking out of the luxury bubble will be key to rapidly accelerating adoption of EVs. The opinion survey underpinning the report indicates 83% of UK respondents would buy a used EV, second only to Spain at 87%.
The survey shows that 55% of consumers are looking to purchase an electric vehicle within the next two years, with lower operating costs, environmental impact and convenience cited as major motives to buy. The survey took place across seven European countries including Norway, Italy and Germany.
7EVolution | September 2022 ANALYSIS
“The private sector is stepping up to the challenge of providing the charging infrastructure that the UK needs,” he said. “From ultra-rapid chargers in motorway service areas, to chargers that will top us up while we shop or eat, the UK’s charging infrastructure is growing faster than ever. Over 800 public chargers are being added every month, and this rate is set to increase further as big ticket investors start to fund major national roll outs.
• Satisfaction with the customer buying experience is declining in the UK. While word of mouth is driving people’s interest in EV options. 43% said their buying decisions were influenced by recommendations from family and friends. People need test drives and in-person dealerships to clinch the deal. There is also limited consumer trust in making a purchase of this size online.
• Charging times, price and convenience stand out as concerns amongst UK consumers, presenting an opportunity for manufacturers in terms of product design and better communication of the options.
But lingering perceptions still need to be addressed if the industry is to win consumers’ hearts, minds and cash. While UK respondents were the most aware of the lower maintenance costs associated with EVs, they also came out top in perceiving EVs as a status symbol, an attitude that unless addressed could put the brakes on growth rates.
Matt Alabaster, PwC strategy partner, commented on the implications for charging infrastructure.
• The ability to charge at home was identified as a major blocker, as around 7 million households in the UK do not have the space to park or charge off-street. This highlights the importance of a range of reliable, accessible and affordable public charging solutions to meet the needs of all consumer segments.
securing Norway’s top ranking eReadiness performance.
The analysis also reveals the challenges facing the UK government and manufacturers in their bid to accelerate adoption and reduce dependency on petrol/diesel vehicles as part of the wider transition to zero tailpipe emissions. Consumers are still being put off by higher up front purchase costs, for example, a factor that will only be exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis, suggests PwC.
Cara Haffey, PwC automotive leader, said: “Despite continuing investment in electric vehicles by manufacturers and the launch of new and diverse ranges of battery and hybrid products, consumers are still being constrained by concerns around cost, a lack of choice and performance. Understanding the trends that are both driving and holding back demand in the UK and in comparison to other Western European markets will certainly help manufacturers shape their
While the government and the private sector continue to invest heavily in charging infrastructure, reductions in EV purchase incentives leading to the grant scheme closing in June 2022, could stall wider scale adoption. The report reveals that purchase incentive packages and extensive charging options, including wide penetration of public fast charging points, currently play a significant role in
Mark Couttie, PwC consulting automotive leader, said: “There is huge potential for growth across the UK EV market but challenges around perception, cost and charging continue to linger. Manufacturers and government need to work together to smash the perception that EVs are the preserve of the affluent middle class. The private sector, for example, could go further in developing mass appeal consumer offers that don’t require such a large initial cash outlay.
The UK is an emerging power in e-mobility with significant potential for growth but, according to PwC’s eReadiness survey, it needs to shift up a gear if it is to ever match the top-ranking performance of Norway.
“We forecast that an average of 1,100 public chargers will be installed every month in 2023, rising to over 2,200 every month by the end of the decade. The segments we need even more progress on are solutions focussed on commercial fleet operators, and affordable on-street parking in residential areas.”
“Assumptions around needing to have off-street parking also play into this ‘middle class’ view and it’s crucial that infrastructure development, led by government, utilities and private sector players, is firmly focussed on the needs of the charging masses of the future.”
strategies more effectively and grow market share as they view an increasingly electrified future within a highly competitive environment.”
The eReadiness study from PwC Strategy& examines markets across much of Western Europe to provide valuable insights on the consumer, commercial and broader factors that are influencing the adoption of EVs. www.pwc.co.uk
Key findings
• Government and private sector also have a unique opportunity to provide charging infrastructure that fits around drivers’ behaviour, whether at home, at work, or on the move.
• 80% of people are interested in buying a used EV. PwC’s Leading the Charge research revealed the potential for fleet electrification to feed the used car market with more affordable options as they renew fleets every two to four years.
PwC eReadiness survey looks at consumer attitudes
Source: PwC
Tracking the adoption curve
Uneven chargepoint infrastructure roll-out could cause EV sales to stall in the UK, warns Mike Todd of Volkswagen Financial Services
The second VWFS tracker report uses a combination of the latest available data from reputable sources and exclusively commissioned consumer research, to look at how EV adoption is progressing, how consumers and organisations are feeling and acting and the primary factors that may influence future decisionmaking. Our second EV tracker highlights how the market continues to evolve and the influences that impact decision making. It’s encouraging to see that EV adoption remains strong and that the UK is currently tracking ahead of the required Climate Change Committee adoption curve by over 100,000 vehicles. However, future progress must be closely monitored to assess the short-term and long-term impact of two primary areas of Firstconcern.isthe general worry about the robustness of the public charging infrastructure and the speed at which charging points are being installed equally around the country. This must keep pace with growing demands or risk stalling EV take-up momentum. The regional variances in charging infrastructure
The second issue is associated with the current cost of living crisis and how it will influence potential purchasers, certainly in the short term. Although 31% of consumers are now ‘seriously considering’ buying an electric vehicle for the first time due to the rapid rise in petrol and diesel prices, nonetheless as household budgets come under pressure, other priorities may prevail which could potentially affect EV sale impetus and limit the surge in EV adoption witnessed over the past few years. Our role as a finance provider is to help consumers with these affordability issues, which is why we continue to develop propositions to assist customers make the transition to electric cars.
T
The positive momentum seen in the first EV tracker report, as consumers and businesses make the switch to more environmentally friendly transport solutions, continues in this second quarterly report. According to the latest statistics from the DfT, more battery electric (BEV) cars (64,000) were registered for the first time in the UK during Q1 2022 (January to March) than diesel cars (34,000), following a 102% annual increase in BEV cars compared to Q1 2021. By contrast, over the same period, there were falls of 11% and 52% for petrol and diesel cars respectively, whilst average CO2 emissions for cars registered for the first time in the UK decreased by 13% in Q1 2022 versus Q1 2021.
he roll-out public charging infrastructure across the UK must keep pace with growing demands or there is a risk that electric vehicle take-up will stall. This is a warning made by Volkswagen Financial Services UK based on the results of its new EV tracking survey. Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS) released its first quarterly electric vehicle (EV) Tracker Report in spring 2022. Its aim was to evaluate the progress being made as the nation moves towards mainstream adoption of electric vehicles and greener transport solutions that will help achieve the UK government’s net zeroThetarget.firstreport set out statistical evidence that tracks EV uptake against the required adoption curve, as well as highlighting challenges and concerns around the current public charging infrastructure and the key factors influencing consumer and business sentiment when it comes to switching to electric.
installation must also be addressed to underpin more equitable nationwide EV adoption. The latest Department for Transport (DfT) charging point figures clearly illustrate that more needs to be done in this critical area.
Even more up-to-date figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) show that BEVs continued their growth streak in June, with a 14.6% increase in volume, as market share continued to grow, reaching 16.1%, up from 10.7% a year before. Over the same period, diesel and petrol vehicles fell 46.7% and 28.2% respectively.
The EV adoption curve
8 EVolution | September 2022
TRENDS
Volkswagen has been working with Tesco and Pod Point to roll out a network of public chargepoints
Key findings in recent consumer research found that:
However,level.the
• When it comes to considering the purchase of an EV, 74% of consumers believe that electric and hybrid cars remain too expensive and only 32% think there is plenty of EV choice.
The public charging infrastructure challenge
The last point contrasts with figures from the SMMT. It states that there is currently more than 140 diverse types of plug-in vehicles to choose from, with more on the cusp of being launched by a number of large manufacturers. There has been a 15-fold increase in the choice of electric vehicles since 2011, but this evolution still does not resonate with a proportion of consumers.
eLCV status
Where public charging installation has occurred, a postcode lottery remains in place. Based on public charging points per 100,000 people the data shows that London (116), Scotland (55), the South East (44) and the South West (39) continue to see the highest level of charging points, whilst Yorkshire and the Humber (29), the North West (27) and Northern Ireland (17) show the lowest
Mike Todd is chief executive of Volkswagen Financial Services UK
TRENDS9EVolution | September 2022
As alluded to in the first VWFS EV tracker report, predicted economic headwinds have become a reality and, with it, a clear influence on consumer-driven larger discretionary purchases, including electric vehicles. New consumer research conducted in
As costs soar, driven by significant energy, fuel and food price hikes, the cost-of-living crisis is affecting all households and some consumers are now being forced to dip into savings to fund their daily lives. This is limiting disposable incomes and driving caution when buying bigger ticket items.
Whilst EV sales continue to experience excellent levels of growth, it contrasts with ongoing concerns about the public charging infrastructure needed to support the mass move to sustainable transport. Increasingly, would-be EV purchasers are expressing reluctance to switch until they have confidence that an adequate charging infrastructure is in place in the UK.
Educating the potential EV market
The Climate Change Committee has set out an EV adoption curve until 2032. Data compiled by Volkswagen Financial Services UK shows that the UK is 101,840 EVs ahead of the curve. At the end of March 2022, there were 833,000 licensed ultra-low emission vehicles in the UK – the equivalent of 1 in 50 of all vehicles on UK roads. To put this market dynamic acceleration into context, this was an increase of 71% compared to the end of March 2021. These numbers depict a steeper-than-needed adoption rate, which is to be welcomed if the Climate Change Committee’s ultimate target of 55% of all light duty vehicles being battery powered by 2032 is to be met.
• 56% of consumers think that electric cars are better for the •environmentJust24%of consumers are ‘confident’ that there is charging infrastructure in place to support electric vehicles
• The cost of petrol and diesel has prompted 31% of consumers to seriously consider an electric car for the first time.
Some 38% of consumers say they plan to delay the purchase of a new car because of the current economic outlook, whilst over a third say they have cut back on the amount of driving they undertake due to the cost of fuel at the pump. However, for those considering the purchase of an EV, issues such as better access to quality charging points (37%), the high price of petrol (36%) and longer ranges on a single charge (35%), are viewed as the most important factors swaying their thinking.
The EV marketplace remains beset by consumer preconceptions, misunderstandings, and overall lack of detailed knowledge. These include key issues such as existing model options, EV pricing, environmental perceptions, and information complexity. By proactively addressing these salient consumer-held opinions through communication and education initiatives, the automotive sector may be in a stronger position to persuade reluctant EVs considerers in the future.
positive news is that between April and June 2022, all regions across the UK, apart from Northern Ireland, saw an increase in total charging devices. The North East had the greatest increase at 14.2%, whilst London had the greatest increase in absolute number of devices at 462 devices, contributing to 27% of the increase in devices across the UK in this period. Interestingly, Scotland has the highest rate of rapid device provision with 14.2 rapid devices per 100,000, with the average provision in the UK being 8.9 per 100,000. It is no coincidence that adoption of EVs is happening more quickly across the South of England, where charging infrastructure enhancements are taking place at a far swifter rate than other areas of the UK. Such inequality needs to be addressed without delay to ensure that the EV adoption rate is both maintained and distributed more equally across the whole of the nation.
Public chargepoints need to be easily compatible with a uniform contactless payment method, are reliable and deliver the advertised power (particularly relevant for ultra-rapid chargers); a potential solution could see providers bound by industry standard service level agreements regulated by Ofgem. Clearly, chargepoints must also be evenly spread in sufficient numbers across the UK.
Currently, only 24% of consumers are confident that sufficient charging infrastructure is in place to support wider adoption of electric vehicles. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) suggests that the nation will need 480,000 public charging points by 2030. But current progress remains slow.
Consumer sentiment and influences
Reflecting the positive progress of EV car adoption, figures for eLCV (vans) also shows tangible promise. As of March 2022, the UK eLCV fleet size stood at 32,000, accounting for 4% of the UK’s licensed plug-in vehicles. It’s predicted that this growth momentum will continue through 2022 as more vans are launched, with new options from both Volkswagen and Ford, among others. This delivers increased choice to businesses looking for greener transport options. It also removes the time and resources needed to retrofit and alter existing petrol and diesel powered LCVs which has been the preferred route for many business owners until now, and who have been put off by eLCV choice, availability, and cost.
In the year to July 2022, just 7,637 additional charging points were installed, bringing the overall total across the UK to 32,011. The European Commission recommends a ratio of one charger per every 10 EVs. However, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) EV grant data shows that approximately 300,000 home chargepoints have been installed across the UK and a further circa 200,000 workplace chargers have been fitted as part of the Workplace Charging Scheme. Therefore, the conundrum of a lack of public chargepoints is a common misconception. The bigger issue is ensuring that the nation’s public charging network becomes more accessible.
June 2022, which has tracked consumer confidence since 2018, shows that net confidence in the UK economy and net confidence in household finances are at their lowest levels for four years.
• 58% of consumers currently think that the cost of a product is ‘more important’ than how sustainable it is
In the short term, consumers and businesses will be looking to tighten belts and ride out the economic storm in the hope the heightened inflation rate and price hikes will begin to subside in due course. It will be interesting to monitor the effect a financial squeeze will have on the positive momentum previously seen in the number of EV sales, and whether the excellent adoption curve status can be maintained during and after a period of fiscal pressure and turbulence.
When asked about other inventions for their future tech wish list, the transport theme continued with teleportation and a flying school bus, as well as robots.
Following the findings in the OnePoll research, people were asked how they feel about welcoming technology into their lives. While expressing their thoughts in a video, participants got to experience the opportunity robotics presents for the future, with Spot the robotic dog from Boston Dynamics making a surprise appearance.Thefieldof robotics is an important area of business development for Hyundai Motor Group, which it has bolstered by the acquisition of Boston Dynamics.
Generation Alpha wants self-charging electric cars, space buses and robots
Three-quarters of people did not know ascarsmodernsomeelectriccanbeusedchargingpoints
Hyundai reveals the mobility wishes of children under 10 (and checks what their parents want too)
for adults, while renewables and AI were also high on the agenda.
Self-charging electric cars and public transport to space are the top of the future mobility wish list, according to youngsters who make up Generation Alpha. Over seven in 10 children aged 6-10 (72%) said self-charging electric cars were an invention they would like to see, while over half would like a flying car (51%). And almost two in 10 (17%) want to go to space via public transport.
According to the poll of 1,000 children aged 6-10, 65% think technology can make the world a better place, for making and building things (59%) and learning (56%).Over half of their adult counterparts (51%) also believe that technological developments are essential for driving progress in Accordingsociety.toapoll of 2,000 UK adults, scientific research, healthcare, business and education are all areas where people believe technology holds the key to success.
Perhaps not surprisingly for Generation Alpha (children under 12), the key robot capabilities were the ability to do chores (55%) and homework (47%). For social progress, adults rate robots higher than children. Almost a third of adults (32%) said they’d be willing to befriend one, while only 24% of children agreed.
Ashley Andrew, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK, said: “It’s clear from our research that society is eager to embrace technology on a range of levels such as helping efforts to clean up the environment and offer clean mobility solutions, ultimately driving progress in the way we travel. Many of us are also intrigued by the potential capacities of robotics, and how this will determine the future of technology.”
Boston Dynamics’ Spot the robot dog checks out the Hyundai IONIQ 5 EV
to be an appetite for mobility to be more sustainable, as 38% of people said they felt technology could be deployed to improve transport and mobility’s environmental credentials.
Generation Alpha is the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Z. Researchers and the media use the early to mid 2010s as starting birth years and the mid 2020s as ending birth years.
advances.Thereappears
Participants also had the chance to see the Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric vehicle, which offers vehicle-to-load (V2L), enabling other vehicles and personal electronics to be charged from its charging port. Three-quarters did not know some modern electric cars can be used as charging points, to charge other electric vehicles around them, and indeed other essential personal tech.
When considering the impact of technology on their day-to-day lives and its benefits, almost two-thirds of Britons (62%) said they recognised the role technology has played in their personal mobility. Meanwhile, transport was also a key area for tech developments, with 23% saying it would benefit from technological
Echoing their younger counterparts, when asked about the technology they were most excited about, robots, flying and autonomous cars all featured heavily
Nearly four in 10 adults have come to terms with the idea of interacting with robots in their daily life, and 31% feel excited at the prospect. Almost half (47%) said they believe robots to be useful, especially in the fields of scientific research, healthcare and transportation, and cited the abilities to learn, endure climate extremes and harsh terrain as important abilities.
11EVolution | September 2022 FUTURES
The study explored attitudes towards Hyundai, as the brand looks to understand how adults and children perceive mobility solutions such as electric cars and flying taxis. More than a third imagined inventions like autonomous flying taxis would not be available for at least another 20 years.
This charging hub is just off the A4, between Hammersmith and Barons Court tube stations. With one rapid charging device and four ultra-rapid devices.
Based on analysis of the more than 1.6 million charging sessions tracked by Zap-Map over the second quarter of 2022, the top five charging locations are:
Gridserve has secured an initial £200m investment from Infracapital, the infrastructure equity investment arm of M&G.The funding will accelerate Gridserve’s plans to further the company’s ‘Sun-to-Wheel’ business model which encompasses generating energy through hybrid solar farms, distributing energy through a national charging network of Electric Forecourts and Electric Hubs, while leasing a wide range of the latest electric vehicles.
This Electric Super Hub at Moto’s Exeter site has some 17 charging devices. The hub features two fast Type 2 AC chargers, three medium-power, and twelve 350 kW-capable devices with CCS and CHAdeMO connectors.
Located just off the A131, adjacent to Great Notley, Gridserve’s first Electric Forecourt at Braintree in Essex opened in late 2020. It features 30 charging devices.
Funding will boost work on creating a national network
5. Gridserve Electric Forecourt Braintree, Essex
maximum impact without delay.”Andy Matthews, head of greenfield at Infracapital, said: “We are delighted to have invested in Gridserve, as part of our ongoing drive to enable positive change and to make a meaningful contribution to the energy transition while delivering value to our investors. Gridserve is leading the charge in decarbonisationtheof the UK’s transport system and is led by an experienced management team that has already made great progress in expanding the Gridserve platform.”
England’s most popular public EV charging spots
Electricity network operator UK Power Networks is upgrading power capacity for new electric vehicle charging station at Moto Medway services near Junction 4 of the M2 in Kent.
A Gridserve Electric Forecourt
Moto opened its Rugby site in April last year, complete with a flagship, Gridserve Electric Super Hub just off the M6. It has 12 high-power charging devices, which have both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors.
The rankings reflect the second quarter of 2022 and cover around 70% of the UK’s public EV charging network.
England’s most popular public electric vehicle (EV) charging locations have been revealed by the Zap-Map EV charging app.
BUSINESS12 EVolution | September 2022
1. Gridserve Electric Super Hub Moto Rugby
the switch to EVs. As we all strive to meet the government’s targets for a net zero economy, it is vital that we all reduce our emissions and push towards a cleaner environment.”KenMcMeikan, chief executive at Moto Hospitality, added: “UK Power Networks’ investment in new grid infrastructure for Moto Medway is an important step in allowing Moto to deliver game changing new highpower chargers to EV motorists in the South East.
MFG EV Power, the ultra-rapid charging network belonging to Motor Fuel Group, makes it into the UK’s most popular charging locations with its ultra-rapid charging hub at Newington in south London.
3. MFG EV Power – Newington, London
Infracapital invests £200m in Gridserve UK Power Networks connects up Moto Medway
A total of 86 schemes are being fast-tracked by the electricity company across a range of sites including electric vehicle charging hubs at motorway service stations, fleets of electric buses, community energy schemes and heat pumps.
company’s £66m Green Recovery Fund, which is fasttracking low carbon energy projects that will help achieve the government’s Ten Point Plan towards net zero by 2050.
commitment to clean tech, infrastructure, toGridservepartnershipasneedterritory,thatwarningsontheneverthesharedrootedcollectivegrowthenvironmentallyandsustainable(ESG)givesourorganisationsdeep-synergiesaroundamission.InvestmentinfutureofourplanethasbeensoimportantandIntergovernmentalPanelClimateChange’slatestdiresolidifytherealityweareinlastchanceandwethereforetotakeactionasquicklypossible.Thisinvestmentwillenabletocontinuetorisethischallengeanddeliver
The work will enable the connection of 48 planned Gridserve deliveredimprovereducetheandchargepointshigh-power(24westbound24eastbound)tosupportgrowthinelectricvehicles,carbonemissionsandairquality.Theprojectisbeingaspartofthe
“This partnership will help Moto in that mission and help us to deliver well above and beyond the government target of a minimum six rapid chargers at each motorway service site by 2023.”
Adam Lakey, leading the projects for UK Power Networks, said: “These projects are about providing the infrastructure that gives businesses and the public the confidence to decarbonise their activities and we hope it will encourage more to make
4. BP pulse – BP Hammersmith, London
Toddington Harper, chief executive of Gridserve, said: “Through this investment partnership with Infracapital, we’re excited that our plans can accelerate, and it’s evident we now have the momentum we require. They are the perfect partners to join our business as we move to the next level as a company. Their
2. Gridserve Electric Super Hub Moto Exeter
The company is installing 4km of new electrical cabling from a nearby substation to EV charging points located in the car parks of the Moto Medway east and westbound motorway services.
to a private parking space or garage should be able to easily access public charging infrastructure close to“Ourhome.plans for the next year are to work closely with Scottish local authorities to help develop their EV strategy, from funding through to chargepoint deployment, and make
“The most exciting development for us in Scotland is that we are already in contact with 24 Scottish local authorities and aim to be in contact with all 32 of them by the end of the year. The next step for us is to develop a deeper understanding on what each local
authority needs.
“We want to bring our data and mapping capabilities to the local authorities of Scotland to put together the best tailored EV charging infrastructure approach for theirUbitricityresidents.”provides slow on-street chargers close to homes on residential streets. Its solution is to turn lampposts into chargepoints by using existing street light infrastructure to provide help to local authorities in the rapid expansion of public charging infrastructure.
When lampposts are deep set and not situated near to the edge of the kerb, Ubitricity deploys its satellite bollard chargepoints solution, so that users can enjoy the same charging experience without the risk of trailing cables across pavements.
Ubitricity plans to fund Scottish EV charging expansion
Toby Butler
The Metrocentre Gateshead shopping centre in Tyneside has announced that stage two of its solar panel project is underway, with installation expected to be completed by December 2022.
carbon supply.
Ubitricity UK managing director Toby Butler told the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) Scotland: “We have big ambitions for Scotland. Transport Scotland has done a brilliant job on kickstarting their EV charging infrastructure strategy, and we want to dedicate funding and resource to be part of this next phase of growth in Scotland. We believe that no one should be left behind in the transition to e-mobility.
“We know Gateshead has an ambitious plan to go zero carbon by 2030, so we are proud to be actively working towards this common goal to bring renewable energy to the local community. The project plays a large role in our long-term business
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provided support for 50% of the £2.8m total cost of the project.
Solar panel canopies being erected on a car park a the Metrocentre
Those residents who can’t have a home charger or don’t have access
“For the UK to truly transition to e-mobility, charging infrastructure needs to be easily accessible everywhere and currently there is an imbalance in charging infrastructure between the north and south of the UK,” Butler said.
With over 5,500 kerbside charging points, Ubitricity claims to operate the largest public charging network in the UK, reflecting its “mission is to accelerate the public’s transition to e-mobility,” by installing public charging where drivers need it most.
sure that their residents have access to the best network they possibly couldUbitricityhave.”has pledged to install 50,000 on-street EV chargers across the UK by the end of 2025. The company is now putting particular focus on Scotland and the north of England over the coming 12 months.
Lamppost charging points allow residents without access to off-street parking to easily charge their electric vehicle, close to home using a standard type-2 cable.
13EVolution | September 2022 BUSINESS
Metrocentre taps into solar power
Dedicated funding and resources are to be part of Ubitricity’s next phase of growth in Scotland.
Metrocentre is working with renewable energy consultant Syzygy. John Macdonald Brown, chief executive of Syzygy, said: “Achieving this scale of solar panel and car port installation is the result of significant client and partner collaboration. Thank you to Sovereign Centros, European Commission (ERDF Fund), and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for all their support in delivering this project and for their steadfast commitment to sustainable real estate development. The sheer size and magnitude of this development should provide impetus for others in the industry.”
Solar panels installed on roof decks of retail car parks
The second phase of the development, which aims to ensure a more sustainable future for Metrocentre, sees the installation of solar PV car ports and 46 new EV charging ports in the Green and Blue Mall car parks, following the recent installation of its new solar PV rooftop panels covering an area equivalent in size to 88 tennis courts.
Green energy generated by the solar panels at Metrocentre will be enough to power 600 electric cars for a year. It’s estimated that the electricity generated from the solar panel installation will result in a reduction of 315 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, equal to planting 32,500 trees over the system’s 25-yearSwitchinglifetime.tosolar energy will also reduce Metrocentre’s grid dependency by 30%, offsetting more than 37% of its total annual electricity use with its own low
With the 46 new EV charging bays delivered and the solar panels fitted above each parking bay, this will allow the retail and leisure destination to provide emissions-free ‘fuel’ for 7,230 electric car miles by the end of the year.
Ben Cox of Sovereign Centros, senior asset manager for Metrocentre, said: “This is a really important milestone for us as we head into the next phase of our solar panel project with Syzygy. A solar panel and car port installation of this size has never been seen before in a UK shopping centre and upon completion of the project later this year, Metrocentre will have the largest solar panel installation of any UK shopping centre.
strategy for the centre which focusses on sustainability and our place in the region.”
WiCET project works with taxi drivers
The findings from the pilot will inform wider EV charging rollouts across New York City, helping to realise its goal of installing 10,000 kerbside chargers by 2030 and electrifying 20% of municipal parking bays by 2025.
“We expect the pilot to provide invaluable data on how to most effectively deploy EV charging infrastructure in densely populated areas and make scalable EV use possible, with potential implications for both NYC and cities around the world.”
The WiCET project is a UK first involving both London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) and Nissan Dynamo electric taxis, placing Nottingham at the forefront of green technology innovation.
Connected Kerb will receive funding to install its EV charging points. It is currently exploring locations at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to deliver a ‘living lab’ that will demonstrate Connected Kerb’s ‘smart city’ infrastructure. This involves using the company’s chargers – which also support a number of IoT (Internet of Things) and telecommunication applications – to showcase how EV charging can support the rollout of other public access technology in urban environments.
supplying the hardware.
Connected Kerb selected for New York pilot
Connected Kerb, a UK-based electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure specialist, has been selected to deliver on-street EV chargers for a demonstration project in New York. The project forms part of the DOT Studio, a collaboration between the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), and Newlab. The partnership is focussed on applying emerging technologies to advance planning, policy, operations, and real-time management of transportation across New York City in line with the City’s Vision Zero and sustainability goals.
Three chargepoint providers – Connected Kerb, Char.gy, and Voltpost – are participating and collaborating in the project.
A Connected Kerb Gekko unit
Nottingham City Council are constructing a new wireless charging area for electric taxis.
Wireless Charging of Electric Taxis (WiCET) is a £3.4m project funded by Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) through Innovate UK to assess the commercial and technical viability of deploying wireless charging for electric HackneyConstructionCarriages.has begun on Trent Street to trial the wireless charging in a taxi rank near Nottingham Station.
The Newlab pilot project will provide a testbed to solve this challenge by proving that accessible and reliable charging infrastructure can be deployed in some of New York’s most densely populated urban areas, where space is at a premium. It will also show that charging infrastructure can be adapted to local requirements like electrical standards and certifications.Thepilotispart of DOT’s ambition to steer the EV charging market before there is enough EV demand for the private sector to take over fully. This will help ensure that chargers are distributed equitably around the city rather than concentrated in highincome“Enablingareas.greater EV adoption is critical to achieving New York City’s net zero goals, and we are pleased to collaborate with NYC DOT and Connected Kerb through the DOT Studio to help realize the vision for a more sustainable, resilient and equitable city,” said Shaina Horowitz, vice president of product and programmes at Newlab.
Connected Kerb was selected for the project in June 2022 due to the flexibility of its charger infrastructure, which can be integrated into street furniture such as bollards, as well as the capability to integrate other smart technologies, such as 5G, IoT and air quality sensors.
Connected Kerb has selected Charge Infrastructure, a division of Charge Enterprises as its preferred installation provider for the project. Charge Infrastructure offers end-to-end services for EV charging ecosystems, from project management to installation and maintenance.
The trial is set to start in late summer 2022.
TECHNOLOGY14 EVolution | September 2022
Pilot planning and design is underway now, with the goal of launching by autumn 2022.
The project is led by Cenex, with partners Coventry University, withandShellNottinghamHangar-19,CityCouncil,Research,SprintPowerTransportforLondon,LumenFreedom
EV ownership in New York is rapidly expanding. In 2021, around 15,000 EVs were registered in the city, with over 5,000 of these sold in 2020 alone. The Biden administration is targeting 50% of all new
Publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure is, however, slowing New York’s EV transition, a city where about 50% of private cars are parked on the street. Prospective electric vehicle buyers report that convenient access to charging is a major barrier to purchasing EVs.
It is hoped that taxi drivers will top up their charge throughout the day while they wait for customers. This will significantly reduce down time spent away from the rank using plug-in chargers whilst encouraging the shift to electric taxi adoption to improve local air quality, reduce noise pollution and carbon emissions in the city.
vehicle sales to be electric across the US by 2030.
Nottingham trials wireless charging
The WiCET installation on Trent Street
“We’re incredibly excited to be working with New York City’s DOT and Newlab to support the decarbonisation of the city’s transport system. We’re confident that this pilot will not only fast track New York’s EV charging roll-out, but also prove our technology in America, and provide a springboard for growth into the future.”
Local Hackney cab drivers who wish to take part in the trial will receive a free loan of a wireless charging taxi for 30-60 days.
Steve Richardson and Nick Dobie, co-founders of Connected Kerb, said: “There are around two million light duty vehicles in New York City, accounting for 80% of transport emissions. New York City DOT has established ambitious goals to eliminate these emissions by boosting electric vehicle adoption, and the DOT Studio project will provide a crucial blueprint for how to deliver world-leading charging infrastructure to support that goal – supercharging EV uptake, cutting emissions and improving public health.
Five wireless charging ground pads are being installed, whilst nine electric and hybrid taxis have been fitted with wireless charging equipment.
Local drivers will be able to use these vehicles to charge wirelessly and provide feedback to the project team to help understand the realworld feasibility of wireless charging and to help develop the technology further.
The government is also consulting on a ‘safety ambition’ for self-driving vehicles to be as safe as a competent and careful
human driver. The ambition would inform standards that vehicles need to meet to be allowed to ‘self-drive’ on the roads, and organisations, such as manufacturers, could face sanctions if standards are not met. The new laws for the safe roll-out of self-driving vehicles by 2025 will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows. The legislation will build on existing laws, and state that manufacturers are responsible for the vehicle’s actions when self-driving, meaning a human driver would not be liable for incidents related to driving while the vehicle is in control of driving.
The UK government has promised new funding totalling £100m, including £34m for research to support safety developments and inform more detailed legislation. The research could include studying the performance of self-driving cars in poor weather conditions and how they interact with pedestrians, other vehicles and cyclists.
It might not be enough for selfdriving cars to be safer than normal cars, suggests a report from the
The government has set out plans for legislation which will allow the wider rollout of self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2025. And some vehicles, including cars, coaches and lorries with self-driving features could be operating on motorways in the next year.
The government has also confirmed £20m to help kick-start commercial selfdriving services and enable businesses to grow and create jobs in the UK, following an existing £40m investment. Successful projects could see groceries delivered to customers by self-driving vehicles, or shuttle pods assisting passengers when moving through airports.
Self-driving cars are currently not allowed on UK roads, but the government has announced that the first such vehicles could be on UK roads by 2025. It is even possible cars, coaches and lorries with selfdriving features could be operating on motorways in the next year.
Self-driving cars will be legal by 2025
The question of how safe autonomous vehicles should be is not one science alone can answer, advises the CDEI. The centre suggests that the public may have little tolerance for crashes that are seen as the fault of technology companies or lax regulation even if on average driverless cars are safer than humans. The CDEI says there is a need to consider how risk is distributed between different groups.
“In the context of vehicles that are self-driving, we will need new mechanisms to ensure that the systems these vehicles use, and the organisations that develop and deploy them, are similarly held accountable for performing in a safe and ethical manner.”
The government argues self-driving vehicles could transform public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who do not drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions
15EVolution | September 2022 AUTOMOTIVE
The government says it will publish policy paper setting out planned laws ready for the introduction of selfdriving vehicles. The legislation is expected to state that manufacturers are responsible for the vehicle’s actions when self-driving, something the Law Commission recommended earlier this year. Proposed updates to the Highway Code have been announced that would allow drivers to watch entertainment on a car’s screen while the vehicle was selfdriving. Initially this would likely be whilst the vehicle was driving at slow speed on a motorway, such as in congested traffic.
AA president, Edmund King OBE, said: “The automotive world is changing rapidly and so the government is right to embrace the positive changes offered by this new technology and back it by funding research and putting forward legislation.“Assisted driving systems, for example, autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, are already helping millions of drivers stay safe on the roads. It is still quite a big leap from assisted driving, where the driver is still in control, to self-driving, where the car takes control. It is important that the government does study how these vehicles would interact with other road users on different roads and changing weather conditions. However the ultimate prize, in terms of saving thousands of lives and improving the mobility of the elderly and the less mobile, is well worth pursuing.”
caused by human error.
Government plans to enable autonomous vehicles
Even if there are improvements in overall safety. “Some groups may see substantial safety improvements while
Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), a government expert body that leads work on trustworthy innovation using data and artificial intelligence (AI). The CDEI report aims to support the Department for Transport in delivering Connected & Automated Mobility 2025: realising the benefits of self-driving vehicles, a roadmap which commits the UK to developing a new legislative framework that builds trust in self-driving vehicles while enabling innovation.
others see none or even face new hazards,” it writes. “Self-driving vehicles have the potential to radically transform the UK’s roads. They offer the opportunity to deliver significant improvements to road safety and efficiency by reducing driver error, can improve accessibility by enhancing mobility for people unable to drive, and have the potential to reduce emissions.
Self-driving services, for example, provide tailored on-demand links from rural towns and villages to existing public transport options nearby. They could also provide more direct and timely services that enable people to better access vital services such as schools and medical appointments.Vehiclesthat can drive themselves on motorways could be available to purchase within the next year, which users would need a valid driving licence for, so they can drive on other roads. Other selfdriving vehicles, for example used for public transport or delivery, expected on the roads by 2025, would not need anyone onboard with a driving licence because they would be able to drive themselves for the whole journey.
One potential problem CDEI identifies is the for bias in algorithms controlling the cars. It warns that some groups, such as wheelchair users, may be underrepresented in data used to train the software algorithms which control the cars, potentially causing bias. The CDEI also says self-driving cars should be clearly identified. “People have a right to know what sort of agents they are sharing the road with.”
Setting out ethical rules for autonomous vehicles
“The general public also needs to
“There is also a significant economic opportunity: the automotive and digital sectors are already important contributors to the UK economy and self-driving vehicles could grow this considerably. Recent research commissioned by the Department for Transport has shown that by 2035, the UK connected and automated vehicles market could be worthHowever,£41.7bn.”toenable these benefits, connected and automated vehicles manufacturers need clarity about the regulatory landscape they are operating in.
Some £6m will be used for further market research and to support commercialisation of the technology.
have confidence in the safety, fairness and trustworthiness of these vehicles,” says the report. “To provide this clarity and confidence, the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern conventional vehicles and their drivers will need to be updated. Under our current legal and regulatory systems, we licence drivers as competent to drive and then hold them accountable for their actions.
Self-driving technology is evolving
The world is changing its perspective on what is an appropriate speed for motor vehicles wherever they share public spaces with people. 30km/h or 20mph is becoming the new global norm for urban and village streets shared between motors and people.
Anna Semlyen Campaign Manager, 20's Plenty for Us
In partnership with:
20 October 2022 | Oxfordshire County Hall
This conference will feature speakers from several counties who have already or are saying 20ʼs Plenty for our places.
Speakers include:
With most of the larger urban authorities having already set a 20mph limit as a norm, it is increasingly clear that what is good for residents in cities is also good for residents in towns and villages.
Supporters & Exhibitors:
Organised by:
Ian Bradfield Principal Policy LeadRoads, GovernmentWelsh
We will also feature a session where the Welsh Government will outline its plans to replace the national 30mph limit with a 20mph default with Theexceptions.conference will provide an indepth perspective of the challenges and opportunities for 20mph in shire counties and rural communities. It will reveal not only how it may be done successfully, but also demonstrate the outcomes from such a change.
Pete Sudbury Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery CouncilOxfordshireEnvironment,andCounty
Lee Waters AM Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Welsh Government
ʼ
Contact Jason Conboy Email: jason@landor.co.uk or call: 020 7091 7895
Jason Williams Gwent Police
PC Mark Hodson West Midlands Police
Kaarina Ruta Transport Assistant, Welsh AssociationGovernmentLocal
20ʼs Plenty – the new norm View the programme and book your place here: https://bit.ly/3cOZXGQ
By exhibiting at this year's 20 s Plenty event you will meet with highways officers, transport planners, road safety and road danger reduction professionals, local councillors, public health officers and key service providers who are tasked with improving road safety, reducing emissions, traffic reduction, and implementing and enforcing 20mph zones across the UK.
Philippa Gilhooly Team Leader, Traffic and Road Safety, BordersScottish Council
Danny Dorling Halford Geography,ProfessorMackinderofSchool of Geography and the Environment of the University of Oxford
Philip Desmonde Cabinet MemberTransport Portfolio, Cornwall Council
Exhibition Opportunities
Gone are the days of designing our streets around cars and instead there is a recognition that a healthy city, town or village needs a far better balance in risk and convenience between the people inside and those outside motor vehicles.
Andrew Gant Cabinet Member for CouncilOxfordshireManagement,HighwayCounty
Deborah Sims Senior andInstitutePresident,ViceCharteredofHighwaysTransportation
Rod King MBE Founder 20'sCampaignandDirector,PlentyforUs
Liz Leffman Leader, Oxfordshire County Council
Already thousands of parish councils have called on their county council to set a 20mph limit as a norm. Some counties have already done so.
Adrian Berendt Campaign ManagerSouth East, 20's Plenty for Us
