EVolution Issue 11

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ServCity Nissan LEAF

What do we have in store?

The transition to electric motoring is dependent on the provision of reliable and accessible public chargepoint infrastructure. However, the deployment of EV charging projects can hampered by the lack of electricity capacity, which can result on installations being scaled back, relocated away from preferred sites, or delayed.

One potential solution is the use of energy storage systems (ESS), which can be used to deliver high-powered chargers at areas such as motorway service areas or rural locations. For example, National Highways is currently deploying ESS units across the motorway network at service areas operated by Extra, Roadchef, Welcome Break and Westmorland.

These are grid-scale batteries housed in a heated and air conditioned 40-foot shipping container, which can support additional high-powered (150kW) electric vehicle chargepoints. With a typical storage capacity of 2MWh, the batteries in each system (which will charge overnight when spare electricity is available) have enough energy to support over 2 million miles of zero-emission motoring each year. To put the energy in perspective, a single charge would be capable of meeting the electrical needs of a typical home for roughly eight months.

The win-win aspect of ESS is that they can use secondlife batteries, units that have been recycled from road vehicles, so the supply will both help ensure that motorists are unlikely to be caught without somewhere to charge and be sustainable.

Mark Moran Editor

Energy storage systems offer a way to deliver high-power charging in remote and rural locations

A National Highways ESS being installed at a motorway service area

Energy is a community asset

Project LEO underlines importance of whole systems approach

A ‘whole systems’ approach informed by the priorities of communities is the best way to develop local energy plans, a fouryear innovation project undertaken in Oxford suggests. Project Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO) was run by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution to replicate the energy system of the future.

Project LEO tested how flexibility at the ‘grid edge’ can help the UK achieve its decarbonisation commitments, whilst bringing value to people, communities and the wider energy system.

With increasing value being placed on flexible resources, such as battery storage, local energy generation and shiftable electricity demand connected to the electricity network, Project LEO trials have looked into how small-scale electricity system users can play a role in providing flexibility to the network. The project has also studied the infrastructure, markets and regulations that should be put in place to make this flexibility commercially and technically viable.

LEO is one of three smart local energy system demonstrator projects in the UK, using Oxfordshire to replicate the

electricity system of the future, taking a ‘whole systems’ approach. Through collaborative, cross-sector working, LEO demonstrated some of the ways changes to the energy system can accelerate transition to net zero, bringing about social, economic, and environmental benefits for all.

The UK government has committed to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035 and new sources of clean generation are connecting to the distribution network. Simultaneously, electricity demand is increasing as people adopt cleaner technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps. To meet these joint challenges and enable the transition to net zero, SSEN established Project LEO in collaboration with nine partners from business, academia, social enterprise and local government, to understand how

Fleet EV transition gathers pace

A global survey of fleet operators has revealed that 30% of managers are looking to electrify their fleets within the next year. The data from 1,800 fleet operators by Teletrac Navman also revealed rising fuel costs (39%), disruption due to the impact of COVID-19 (32%) and supply chain pressure (31%), are the top challenges facing the sector.

Fuel conversion (23%) remains a key challenge with EV supply, the study claimed, with a third also saying the conversion to electric and next generation fuels was their largest areas of expense behind purchasing new vehicles.

More than a third (41%) also said that the environmental impact is their biggest concern about the current economic environment.

Maintenance of existing fleet continued to be largest expense for 39% of those surveyed.

Other findings included fleets offering more technological integrations – 48% – through 2023 and technology aiding compliance. More fleet managers were also focussing on implementing more

digital workflows (39%) and video telematics (38%).

Mayank Sharma, head of global product management & UX at Teletrac Navman, said: “With supply chain issues continuing to impact EV vehicle availability and cost, some fleets are struggling to start the transition and are having to find ways to safely extend vehicle life through preventative maintenance and more conscientious use on the road. However, those with the available capital expenditure to be early movers to EVs could gain a competitive advantage as they won’t be exposed to any further rising petrol or diesel costs, they’ll be reducing their environmental impact which is coming more into play in customer contracts, and will likely benefit from government grants and subsidies that will later be removed.”

TS23 is Teletrac Navman’s Global Telematics Survey; It showcases prevailing trends impacting fleet operations and how they are planning to tackle them. The survey results are based on feedback from over 1,800 fleet professionals.

electricity networks can make full use of capacity on the network and work to support local communities’ net zero ambitions. This meant identifying the smart technologies, services and markets that must be developed and the new opportunities to be seized for a just and cost-effective transition to net zero.

The Project LEO trials were complex and innovative and included:

• Smart Fair Neighbourhood Trials: a series of trials to demonstrate how flexible services can sit at the heart of a smarter, low-carbon, locally balanced energy system.

• Energy Asset Trials: looking at the potential of energy assets, such as solar panels, batteries and hydro plants to deliver energy flexibly.

• Market Feasibility Trials: determining the value of energy flexibility and creating a marketplace to trade energy supply so that everyone benefits.

The Project LEO partner organisations included Scottish and Southern Energy Networks, Low Carbon Hub, the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council.

The learnings from Project LEO are now being shared with the industry and policymakers in a final report to help deliver the structures that will enable and support the transition to net zero.

European Parliament confirms 2035 ban on new fossil fuel cars

The European Parliament has approved a law that will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the European Union (EU) from 2035.

The legislation is designed to accelerate the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) and help tackle climate change. The end goal for the EU is to be ‘climate neutral’ by 2050, which involves net zero greenhouse emissions. Transportation currently accounts for a quarter of all C02 emissions in the EU.

Carmakers operating within the EU will have to achieve a 100% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars sold. This would make it impossible to sell new fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The law change will also set a 55% cut in CO2 emissions for new cars sold from 2030 versus 2021 levels.

New vans sold within the EU will have to comply with a 100% CO2 cut by 2035, and a 50% cut by 2030. Previously, the levels were set at 37.5% – but lawmakers have now shifted the speed in which they want the 27 member states to see more

EVs on the roads.

Dutch MEP Jan Huitema, and the EU Parliament’s lead negotiator on the law changes, explained the change to members in Brussels.

“This regulation encourages the production of zero and low-emission vehicles,” Huitema said. “It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050. These targets create clarity for the car industry and stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers. Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”

EU member agreed the changes with lawmakers in October 2022, but they needed to be made official through a vote. In total, 340 MEPs voted in favour of the ban, while 279 were against it and a further 21 abstained from the process.

SSEN is a Project LEO partner

Councils to get EV guidance

TTF EV Working Group to publish more advice

The Transport Technology Forum’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Working Group is committing to producing further guidance designed to help council officers roll out the required infrastructure to keep pace with the adoption of EVs.

The group of public and private sector experts attended a meeting in Newbury, Berkshire, where they heard that local authorities are a key stakeholder when it comes to delivering the roll-out of charging infrastructure and must fully understand and embrace the technology.

The meeting heard that engagement with residents is vital when delivering a network that people want and accept. It heard that councils must keep engaging and explaining what they are doing, focussing on considerations and challenges around parking and traffic

regulation orders.

The working group, which was set up by the Transport Technology Forum (TTF) to help local councils tackle the challenges around delivering charging networks for the anticipated huge growth in electric vehicles, has already published a starter guide for authorities to understand what they need to consider when it comes to delivering a charging network.

The group’s chair, Shamala

Recharge Industries buys Britishvolt

Australia’s Recharge Industries has been successful in its bid for ownership of failed UK Gigafactory start-up Britishvolt.

Recharge Industries is a portfolio company of Scale Facilitation and a provider of battery technology based in Geelong, Australia. The firm is currently developing Australia’s first large-scale lithium-ion cell production facility to provide recyclable batteries. It is also investing in research and development of next-generation solutions to real-world and emerging energy storage solutions.

Under plans presented by Recharge Industries, the Britishvolt project will make the UK’s first gigafactory a reality.

Britishvolt had planned to build a £3.8bn gigafactory to make electric car batteries at Cambois near Blyth, Northumberland. The facility was intended to supply EV batteries to the UK car industry. However, the company was put into administration after running out of money.

David A Collard, founder and chief

executive of Scale Facilitation, said: “We are thrilled to have been successful in our bid for ownership of Britishvolt; our plans are the right ones for the local community and the UK economy.

“Our proposal combined our financial, commercial, technology and manufacturing capabilities, with a highly credible plan to put boots and equipment on the ground quickly.

“Our technology, including an exclusive licence for the intellectual property and battery technology, has been developed and validated over the last decade through C4V in the US and will be the backbone of both gigafactories in Geelong and Cambois.

“Backed by our global supply chain, strategic delivery partners and a number of significant customer agreements in place, we’re confident of making the Cambois Gigafactory a success and growing it into an advanced green energy project. We can’t wait to get started and want to start as soon as possible.”

Evans-Gadgil from Coventry City Council, committed to delivering more advice about delivering charging infrastructure from a local authority’s perspectives.

“The TTF’s EV Working Group remains a key medium to deliver updates and outputs to local authorities around education needed in this space,” she explained.

“The next step for the group will be to provide the further guidance on procurement, site

selection, consultation and delivery that we have committed to this year.”

The meeting, held at Novuna Vehicle Solutions, was addressed by Dr Andrew Larkham from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

Among other things, he explained that the issue of charging is often exaggerated by drivers who tend to overestimate the mileage they drive, meaning they could use a vehicle on the market now without any range anxiety.

Attendees also received advice on cyber security, site selection and strategy, while Novuna’s head of decarbonisation Jonny Berry busted a number of myths in a Q&A session which was facilitated by Alec Peachey, content director of the Local Council Roads Innovation Group and publisher of transportandenergy.com.

The Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Working Group will deliver a further update during the TTF Conference in Leeds from 25-27 April.

Infinium Logistics acquires Banbury EV charging facility

Infinium Logistics, a European asset management and logistics solutions business, has completed the acquisition of an EV charging facility let to Amazon in Banbury for £28m from Paloma Capital.

The deal represents the second site secured for Infinium’s property investment platform, claimed to be the world’s first dedicated EV fleet charging real estate fund.

Set close to the centre of Banbury and 1.7 miles from the M40 at Junction 11, the site sits on a principal arterial route between London and Birmingham. Arranged over 14.34 acres, the property comprises a 200,000 square foot warehouse operated as a 588space EV-ready fleet parking facility and let to Amazon, as well as a long-let Starbucks drive-thru.

Infinium said the deal represented an opportunity to acquire a core South East distribution warehouse and EV car park which Amazon has invested in, together with further asset management potential.

Tom Gough, investment director, Infinium Logistics, added: “With a lease to a key tenant in Amazon, with whom we deepen our existing relationship, the property provides immediate income for our investors alongside a medium-term opportunity to add value through asset management. This acquisition demonstrates our ability to think outside of the (big) box and transact in a period of general market uncertainty. We look forward to working with market participants to acquire additional c.5-acre sites near major urban centres where we can develop specialised vancharging infrastructure that enable our tenants to transition to electric vehicles.”

Shamala Evans-Gadgil

EV charging hub launched in Rhyl

North Wales coastal resort car park is home to major chargepoint installation

Denbighshire County Council has opened a charging hub in Rhyl with capacity for 36 EVs at the same time.

The charging hub at the West Kinmel Street car park offers a mix of rapid 50kW and fast 7kW chargers for local users who have no access to off-street parking. Three of the parking bays and charging units are specifically allocated for disabled users.

The project, funded by the Welsh Government, has been delivered to promote the uptake of electric vehicles in the region by providing essential infrastructure, as part of the local authority’s plan to reduce carbon and harmful emissions.

Cllr Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport, said: “Rhyl’s new charging hub will help those in the area who don’t have off-street parking and want to move to running an electric vehicle. Visitors will also be able to charge their vehicles here which will in turn support the business community of the town. It will also become a useful facility

for those travelling in the area needing to charge their cars, drawing more people to discover what Rhyl and the surrounding communities have to offer. I would like to thank the team which made the site possible, which includes Denbighshire County Council, Scottish Power Energy Networks, SWARCO, A Parry Construction, MEGA Electrical and

Metrocentre offers EV charging

The Metrocentre retail and leisure complex in Gateshead is offering customers over 50 charging points. This makes it one the largest EV charging facilities in the North East.

The EV chargepoints are spread across three of the centre’s car parks, with the majority being fast chargers which top-up cars in a couple of hours, specifically chosen to be in-line with the average dwell time at Metrocentre. There are also rapid chargers for on-the-go visitors who need a faster getaway.

The 56 EV charging sockets have been installed by Zest. The installation marks the second time Zest has worked with Sovereign Centros, following the opening of 64 charging sockets at Merry Hill in the West Midlands last year. Zest says it has made an investment of around £500,000 at Metrocentre.

Graeme Jones, director at Sovereign Centros, commented: “We are committed to pushing for a more

sustainable future across all our destinations, and ensuring accessibility to EV charging is a key part of this. Having worked with Zest on other projects, we saw them as the perfect partner to deliver this for Metrocentre, ultimately helping to deliver our sustainable vision, and removing one of the main barriers to the EV switch for drivers across the North East.”

Robin Heap, chief executive of Zest, said: “In the future we’ll just charge where we park, as part of our normal routine. Retail and leisure destinations that provide the right EV facilities first, as new habits are being formed, are those that will thrive in the migration to EV. We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Sovereign Centros, working with them again to provide these new facilities and to support their vision for Metrocentre’s sustainable future.”

According to research conducted by CACI, 68% of consumers who intend to own an EV will visit retailers and businesses more frequently if they provide the right charging facilities. EV sales in the North East increased by 72% in 2022, and a third of people in the UK now intend to make an EV their next car.

O’Connor Utilities, who all worked tirelessly to deliver this first of its kind project for North Wales in a timely and efficient way.”

Daytime and peak time users will still be required to pay for a parking space at the hub, however the EV bays will have no charges levied between 5pm and 8am as per the rest of the car park.

MFG to invest £50m in EV charging hubs during 2023

Independent forecourt operator Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has announced a £50m EV investment plan for 2023. The company has made a commitment to invest £400m in EV infrastructure by 2030. The planned investment in EV hubs for 2023 will see new hubs providing a further 360 ultra-rapid chargers on the MFG network.

Construction has begun on 12 EV hubs during January 2023, more than the entirety of Q1 2022, demonstrating the increasing velocity of MFG’s investment.

Some 20% of the £400m investment was deployed during 2021 and 2022. Last year the company installed 271 ultra-rapid chargers across its network, with an additional 31 hubs, plus a further 175 chargers in construction. MFG now has 54 hubs open throughout the UK with 271 chargers in operation.

MFG hubs will consist of between four and eight ultra-rapid 150kW EV Chargers per site. 150kW chargers can add 100 miles range in approximately 10 minutes, subject to the charging capability of individual car batteries. These will be

augmented with 300kW+ chargers as vehicle battery technology improves to maintain the fastest charging times across the MFG network.

Alongside its investment in EV, MFG has also made a £50m investment in improving its retail, food-to-go, and valeting offer.

Over the coming decades, MFG will operate a dual fuel strategy, meaning it will continue to provide existing fossil fuel infrastructure whilst placing equal importance on rolling out ultra-rapid EV charging hubs.

William Bannister, chief executive of MFG, said: “Our ambition is to invest ahead of the curve, and give drivers who are contemplating purchasing an electric vehicle the confidence that they could travel as easily as with a petrol or hybrid vehicle. Although we have a way to go to achieve this, our investment in 2022 has set us on a positive trajectory. We have set ourselves another ambitious target for openings in 2023, with the plan to energise 360 chargers whilst delivering the best experience possible for our customers.”

EVs parked up at the new Rhyl charging hub

Hailing the dawn of the robotaxi

ServCity AV project ends with electric taxi service in London

ServCity, a UK autonomous mobility service research project, has concluded its final testing phase on the streets of London. For the past three years it has been working to understand how to help cities successfully incorporate autonomous vehicle technologies into a complex urban environment to deliver a ‘robotaxi’ style service, creating a blueprint of the type of infrastructure that will be required to support such technologies.

ServCity is jointly funded by government and industry – the government’s £100m Intelligent Mobility fund administered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and delivered by Innovate UK.

Six partners – Connected Places Catapult, TRL, Nissan, Hitachi Europe, the University of Nottingham and SBD Automotive – have been collaborating to develop a blueprint that will guide OEMs, transport providers and city planners to get ‘CAV-ready’ in the UK’s cities.

As with other previous CAV development projects backed by government funding, ServCity seeks to give people the confidence that CAVs are safe to introduce onto UK roads. To that end, the finale of the project is a series of demonstrations to stakeholders where guests have been able to experience what an initial deployment of the CAV and CAVready infrastructure technologies might

be like. ServCity aims to show that autonomous technology can provide a people-centric mobility service, and which adjustments to the road’s infrastructure are most desirable to make that service the best user experience possible.

Marcel Pooke, sustainability and GIS team lead at Connected Places Catapult said: “Throughout the project Connected Places Catapult has been demonstrating the art of the possible in scaling CAV technologies, and their supporting infrastructure, to help get these vehicles delivering vital services as soon as possible. Based on the potential demand for a CAV service, combined with potential areas of operation, the catapult has helped create a blueprint that provides a basis for follow-on work by many other organisations and aims to

assist and enable the full-scale deployment of an operational robotaxi service in a UK city.”

Built upon a 100% electric Nissan LEAF, the ServCity CAV has now successfully completed increasingly challenging validation trials in the realworld environment of TRL’s urban testbed, the Smart Mobility Living Lab (SMLL), based in Greenwich. ServCity was able to leverage the full capabilities of the SMLL, which used its network of roadside sensors and 5G enabled data processing suite to create a futuristic cooperative infrastructure environment, sending new sources of data to the CAV to improve its situational awareness (e.g. alerting the CAV to the intention of an unseen bus to stop ahead).

Thomas Tompkin, head of network

ServCity deployed an electric Nissan LEAF in London that was connected to the SMML control centre

Inside the ServCity robotaxi

infrastructure and operations of the SMLL said: “ServCity is what the Smart Mobility Living Lab was conceived for – to test emerging technologies safely in a realworld urban testbed and accelerate their commercialisation. We configured our roadside sensor infrastructure and data processing to understand and demonstrate the best ways for CAVs to acquire better shared situational awareness from CAV-ready features within the ITS environment.”

Autonomous drive technology is a key pillar within the Nissan Ambition 2030 business plan. Robert Bateman, manager, Nissan Technical Centre Europe and Nissan project manager for ServCity, said: “Not only has Nissan provided the 100% electric Nissan LEAF as a test vehicle, our talented group of engineers have also contributed to the research and development of cutting-edge autonomous drive technology for use within the project. This has enabled the development of a test vehicle that is able to autonomously navigate the busy streets of London alongside other road users – both stationery and moving – while connected with city infrastructure.”

Nick Blake, chief innovation strategist, Hitachi Europe, said: “The ServCity project has allowed us to further develop the essential technologies needed for urban driving such as the ability to make safe decisions based on advanced situational awareness, and robust localisation in urban canyons – where GPS signals may not be reliable. We’ve made massive strides in the past three years, and we will continue to participate in the autonomous driving revolution.”

Gary Burnett, chair of transport human factors from the Human Factors Research Group at the University of Nottingham, said: “ServCity has supported us to develop novel, human-centred methodologies for designing and evaluating the user experience for future autonomous taxis. Using innovative virtual reality (VR) and field observation methodologies, we have focussed on the inclusive design of interfaces for vehicle occupants and other road users, which deliver a positive user experience in the absence of a human driver.”

Andrew Hart, chief executive at SBD Automotive, said: “Robotaxis have the potential to fundamentally transform mobility for both consumers and the cities they operate in. The user experience lies at the heart of that transformation, as operators will need to carefully balance customer expectations with real-world technological constraints imposed by both vehicles and city infrastructure. The ServCity project has seen theory put into practice, so we are now confident of being able to help carmakers design a seamless robotaxi experience.”

Coventry’s streets to host self-driving cars

MACAM trial goes live in West Midlands

An extensive trial of self-driving technology will take place on the streets of Coventry. The £15.2m MultiArea Connected Automated Mobility (MACAM) Project will begin a trial of self-driving technology within Coventry city centre and at Birmingham’s NEC in around 18 months’ time.

The project is led by Conigital and Coventry University is one of a number of collaborating organisations involved, including Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Warwick Manufacturing Group, dRisk, IPG Automotive UK, Direct Line Group (insurance) and the NEC.

Coventry University’s role is to develop strategies that provide secure and efficient operation of selfdriving vehicles that can be safely controlled in multiple locations by remote operators in a control room, using a 5G-based, Remote Monitoring and Tele-Operation (RMTO) service.

The university also plans to use the vehicles to operate an internal mail service across its city centre locations, using purpose-built self-driving light vans, while using its expertise in cybersecurity to ensure their safety and reliability.

Initially a driver will be present within the vehicles, but eventually it is anticipated they will be unmanned and monitored completely remotely. Ultimately, the university’s goal from the project is

Law Commission calls for robust regulation

The Law Commission has published advice to government on how to regulate remote driving on UK roads. Remote driving technology, which enables a person to drive a vehicle from a remote location, has seen rapid advancements in recent years, and is already used in controlled environments, such as warehouses and farms.

The Law Commission’s published advice to government is the culmination of a review commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV).

It calls for both short-term changes to the law to respond to emerging safety concerns, as well as a new regulatory regime to govern remote driving on roads in the longer term. The new paper considers remote driving where the driver does not have direct

to show that the technology can be put into commercial use.

Kevin Vincent, director of Coventry University’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Automotive Research, said: “We were chosen to take part in this project because it is recognised that we have expertise in studying human factors and in cyber security in the field of self-driving vehicles.

“Our work on this is all about demonstrating the technology will work in real world settings and providing that evidence for those who want to further develop self-driving technology. Coventry was the site of some of the UK’s early self-driving trials and we have a history of running safe road trials.”

The MACAM Project is one of a number of projects exploring self-driving technology to have recently been awarded a share of £81m in funding from government and private industry as part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Connected and Automated Mobility programme.

Professor Stewart Birrell, professor of human factors for future transport at Coventry University, said: “There is a defined legal driver of any vehicle but what we’re doing is taking that person out from behind a steering wheel and putting them in a control room. We want to explore the human factors involved and how control of a vehicle is passed over to an operator at specific points in a journey, for example where there may be a particularly difficult section of a trip that needs negotiating. We want to show this technology works within real world settings, not just on a test track.”

line of sight of the vehicle and may be in an operations centre many miles away. This could involve the driver using several screens and a control system to direct a vehicle on the road.

Remote driving technology has several potential applications, including delivering rental cars to customers’ doors. The technology may also be used in trials of self-driving vehicles. Whereas most UK trials of self-driving vehicles have an in-vehicle “safety driver”, there is increasing interest in using remote driving technology to enable the safety driver to be located outside the vehicle.

Safety challenges considered in the review include establishing reliable connectivity, driver situational awareness, a possible sense of “detachment” from the physical world, and cybersecurity – such as the threat of a terrorist seizing control of a vehicle.

The commission concludes in its advice that remote driving on roads and public places should only be allowed if companies obtain special permissions

MACAM test vehicle

Government must support

says Transport Committee

development of alternative fuels,

MPs call for more investment in lowcarbon fuels

The government needs to change its approach towards backing specific technology solutions to decarbonise the UK’s transport sector, or risk failing its targets for cutting emissions, says the House of Commons Transport Committee.

In its Fuelling the Future report the committee urges the government to move beyond its “deliberately technology agnostic” mindset, as stated in its 2019 Technology Innovation Strategy.

The UK government has set a number of targets to decarbonise different sections of the transport sector over the next 30 years. But the crossparty committee states the Department for Transport (DfT) has chosen to take a neutral stance on which technologies it believes industry should focus on

£56m

developing, in order for those carbon-cutting targets to be achievable. While recognising the electrification of transport, the Transport Committee is keen to see more support for development work on alternative fuels for aviation, rail and road vehicles.

In March 2022, the government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy said that although the UK is a leader in the EV transition, the current pace of roll out is too slow.

The Transport Committee reiterates a recommendation from its 2021 zero-emission vehicles report that government should try to ensure no areas are left behind. However, in particularly rural and isolated locations, where this may not be viable, the committee believes that people should not be expected to give up using diesel, petrol or hybrid cars, as over time they will account for a negligible proportion of the UK’s transport emissions.

for more public chargepoints

Local authorities will benefit from £56m in public and industry funding for increasing electric vehicle chargepoints.

The funding will expand the current Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot and boost the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).

In total, £22m of government funding for the pilot areas is supported by an additional £17m of private funding, and £2m from public funds across local authorities.

The UK government estimates the funding will see a further 2,400 chargepoints installed.

The grants will also help councils across England secure dedicated resource to develop in-house expertise and capability to coordinate chargepoint plans and work with private operators –delivering a more comprehensive and reliable network of chargepoints for drivers.

Technology and decarbonisation transport minister Jesse Norman said: “The government is giving local authorities across England additional help today to energise their

chargepoint roll-out plans. Today’s commitment will lead to thousands of new chargers being installed, and plans for tens of thousands extra in due course, so that more people than ever can make the transition to using EVs.”

In addition to expanding the pilot scheme, today also sees the launch of the £8m LEVI Capability Fund, which will equip local authorities with the skills and ambition to scale up their plans when it comes to their charging strategy.

The funding will help local authorities work with private business and chargepoint operators to drive the sustainable growth of local networks, building and utilising their collective knowledge and expertise to deliver the most ambitious chargepoint plans for their area.

The government is also bringing forward a further £7m funding for the existing On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, bringing the total funding this year to £37m. Three thousand chargepoints have already been installed under ORCS with a further 10,000 in the pipeline.

‘Drop-in fuels’ have a future, say MPs

The committee reiterates another recommendation from its previous report, that government should instead use some of its Rapid Charging Fund to bolster grid capacity in order to facilitate wider use of EV chargepoints in isolated areas. The committee believes the government’s commitment to EVs should not come at the expense of continuing to explore the potential of alternative ‘drop in’ synthetic fuels and biofuels as a lowcarbon option for cars and other transport modes. Enabling greater access to

alternative fuels could prove a socially equitable option for motorists, rather than necessitating purchases of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

The committee also believes that greater investment in sustainable fuels could mitigate the risks of EV battery production or grid capacity being insufficient and would cater for conventional vehicles that will remain on the road past the point at which sales of new conventional-engine cars will be banned.

Compared with cars, HGVs pose a challenge as they are heavier and travel longer distances, making frequent recharging of batteries impractical.

The MPs note the UK was the first country in the world to commit to phasing out new, non-zero-emission HGVs weighing 26 tonnes or less by 2035, with all new models sold in the UK to be zero emission by 2040.

Commercial sector needs a boost

Infrastructure spending needs to support business, says Denise Beedall of Logistics UK

The £56m funding announced by government to increase the provision of EV chargepoints must create provision for commercial vehicles, according to business group Logistics UK, if the industry is to hasten its transfer to net zero.

Figures released in October 2022 by the Department for Transport showed the total number of public EV chargepoints in the UK reached 34,637. However, the UK Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy report, published in 2022, notes that government has predicted the UK will require at least 300,000 chargepoints by 2030.

So, while this funding – which will be used to expand the current Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot and deliver an additional 2,400 chargepoints to the 3,000 chargepoint already installed through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) – is a much-needed step forwards on the route to net zero, the charging

Denise Beedall

requirements of the commercial vehicle sector must be factored into any developments.

Local authorities must ensure that any new public EV chargepoint installation and infrastructure provides adequate electric vehicle charging infrastructure with sufficient space for use by commercial vehicles. An immediate uplift in the number of public chargepoints that can be used by battery electric vans and a recognition of the future needs of battery electric trucks, is vital to give the logistics sector the confidence to invest in zero-emission at the tailpipe.

WASSIM CHOUAK/UNSPLASH

Business is adopting EVs

growing second-hand EV market.”

More than 400,000 EVs are already being operated by firms involved in the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, a new report has shown. The number of EVs is up 93% in 12 months and shows EV100 members are accelerating their transition to electric fleets. By 2030, those involved in the initiative will have collectively moved 5.75 million vehicles to electric.

The updated progress report shows the EV100 network has also rolled out more than 30,000 individual charging units across 72 global markets with installation plans for more than 6,000 sites by the end of the decade. The study also said that support from policymakers – especially phase-out dates for petrol and diesel vehicles, as well as zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates and CO2 standards –would allow businesses to invest in EVs with more confidence and clarity.

The Climate Group is an international non-profit founded in 2003, with offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Amsterdam and Beijing. In its fifth year, EV100 has grown from 10 businesses in 2017 to a group of 127 in 100 global markets. The Climate Group recently also announced a new EV100+ commitment focussed on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles larger than 7.5 tonnes.

Sandra Roling, director of transport of Climate Group, said: “Our members are taking action today to take polluting petrol and diesel vehicles off the road, almost doubling the number of EVs within their combined fleets in last 12 months. It’s great, too, to see them roll-out charging stations at their premises and invest in the wider infrastructure that will make electric road transport the new reality for all. More and more businesses are viewing a transition to EVs as a necessary part of their sustainability drive and EV100 members are at the cutting edge of this transition.

“We need their ambition to be matched by governments, carmakers and businesses across the globe. To limit global temperature rises to no more than 1.5 degrees, far more vehicles need to switch to electric. To support this, charging infrastructure must be built out rapidly and manufacturers must expand the volume and variety of vehicles on the market. Governments need to provide clear direction in the form of phase-out

Progress

and Insights Report

“Our Progress and Insights Report is clear – EV100 members are taking bold steps now to increase the number of EVs on the road. It shows businesses can really shift the needle when they put their collective weight behind it, and make sure the transition to electric is as swift as possible.”

Stefan Kurz, head of global fleet management at Siemens AG, said: “Sustainability is a top priority at Siemens. Therefore, we’ve committed ourselves to fully electrify our fleet till 2030 by joining the EV100 initiative. To further accelerate the EV transition, we incentivise home-charging, offer free charging at Siemens locations, and track CO2 emissions to constantly reduce our carbon footprint.”

Nick Williams, managing director, transport, Lloyds Banking Group, added: “2022 saw further acceleration on the road to net zero. The rise in EV registrations is positive news against the challenges that the industry is facing with continued supply chain issues constraining new models coming to market. If we want the UK to truly lead the way in EV ownership, removing the barriers to convert to new electric vehicles must be a priority focus for both government and industry moving forward. Increased accessibility and availability of chargepoints in towns and cities right across the UK will be essential, alongside affordable charging units and tariffs at home. Support beyond 2023 is required for a fairer road taxation system that incentivises on removing the older, more polluting vehicles from the UK’s roads, while also supporting demand in the

Anjalli Ravi Kumar, chief sustainability officer, Zomato, said: “Zomato is proud to have been an early adopter of the EV100 pledge. We firmly believe that EVs can transform our business into one that’s green, safe, inclusive while enhancing livelihoods for our delivery partners. We are grateful to be working with nearly 20 start-ups and clean mobility firms that have helped thousands of our partners access EVs at affordable rates to undertake deliveries across 43 Indian cities. We ask that state and local governments support an orderly transition to high quality and safe EVs through policies that: a) favour the development of a reliable and dense battery swapping and charging network; b) overcome the hurdles of access to finance for delivery partners and; c) ensure all players meet rigorous safety standards.”

Kathy Alsegaf, global chief sustainability officer, Deloitte, said: “Deloitte’s commitment as a ‘triple-joiner’ of the Climate Group’s RE100, EP100, and EV100 campaigns is an example of our efforts in action to hold ourselves accountable and drive responsible climate choices within our organization and beyond. As of 2022, we have converted nearly 25% of our fleet to electric vehicles, marking an important milestone in our commitment to convert 100% of our global fleet to hybrid and electric vehicles by 2030. To continue driving progress, we must work across industries and governments to speed EV adoption in global markets by working to improve supply chain surety, solve EV delivery delays, fast-track charging infrastructure development, and combat perceptions of technological limitations.”

Susumu Yoneoka, senior manager (energy planning), technology planning department, NTT Corporation, added: “In 2018, NTT became the first telecommunications operator in the world to join the EP100 and EV100 initiatives. To support a sustainable society, the NTT Group has reduced its corporate fleet and converted internal combustion engine vehicles into electric vehicles. In addition, we have been installing EV charging stations at our telecommunications and office buildings, providing and developing smart charging services on our own. To address the challenges of EV adoption, we are taking initiatives with our partners to find solutions. Through these initiatives in terms of sustainability, we are striving to promote the development and growth of the NTT Group and to contribute to Japanese society and global society.”

Climate Group members are now running 400,000 EVs as part of their fleets

Advancing the EV transition across the globe February 2023

BP Pulse and APCOA agree to build 100 EV hubs across Europe

Berlin and Bremen planned as first urban hubs

BP Pulse and APCOA Parking Group have signed a panEuropean frame agreement to open more than 100 EV fast charging hubs across the continent. BP Pulse plans to install charging points at APCOA car parks in the UK, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Poland over the next three years. The project will help the chargepoint operator expand its network in city centres.

The roll-out will form part of APCOA’s plan to transform its car parks into ‘urban hubs’ which will provide physical and digital infrastructure for mobility, logistics, e-charging and technology based services.

The two companies aim to work together to provide a convenient customer journey

through digital integration of BP Pulse and the APCOA Connect app in the UK, and the APCOA Flow app in Europe.

Registered users will be able to use the apps to locate, access, book and pay for their charging and parking at the car park from their mobile, and the car park’s entry and exit barriers will open automatically as the vehicle approaches.

SWARCO launches Power and Go

SWARCO Smart Charging is to launch a nationwide ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging network called Power and Go, or PoGo.

SWARCO’s aim is to build a network of over 2,000 ultra-rapid charging stations over the next four years. PoGo charging locations will be strategically positioned to be convenient for drivers and with easy access to public amenities, coffee shops and food outlets.

Each site will have multiple charging options that will be regularly serviced and maintained by a team of EV-driving engineers.

EV drivers will be supported by a 24/7 in-house customer support team that can be contacted by

phone, email, website, app and social media channels.

Justin Meyer, managing director of SWARCO Smart Charging, said: “With battery-electric cars accounting for one-third of all new registrations in December and the total number of pure EVs on UK roads now reaching over 600,000, accelerating the installation of suitable charging infrastructure is needed to support the current and future demands of EV drivers. That requires not only the most reliable technology, but also finding the best sites, and having a team with the drive, passion and know-how to deliver an exceptional experience, and support people on their electric journey.”

Two urban hubs in Berlin and Bremen in Germany are expected to open in the third quarter of 2023. These will be the first locations to offer ultrafast charging which can charge a minimum of six cars, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will be operated by Aral Pulse, BP’s German brand.

To make the most of downtime whilst charging, some of the hubs will offer a

‘driver lounge’ including a vending offer of hot and cold drinks, seating areas with phone charging points and free Wi-Fi, and restrooms will also be available.

With the incoming ban on ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles across Europe in 2035, alongside measures to equip up to 30% of public parking spaces with charging facilities for electric cars, BP Pulse and APCOA’s hubs will offer one solution in well-lit city-centre parking where available land is often scarce.

Stefan von Dobschuetz, general manager Europe, BP Pulse said: “This agreement will help us to build our EV charging network across Europe by offering customers the fastest and most convenient EV hub charging experience. By working with APCOA, we’re bringing the future of parking, charging and services for urban life in one place.”

Barnet awards EV charger contract to VolkerSmart Technologies

VolkerSmart Technologies has been awarded a £1m installation contract for electric vehicle charging points along residential roads in Barnet, north London, on behalf of Trojan Energy.

The first phase of works involved the installation of charging points, along six residential roads in Barnet which are fitted flat and flush within the pavement. The team also fitted feeder cabinets, including concrete base plinths, and associated trenching and cabling works.

The remaining four phases involve the installation of on-street, EV charging points across a further 28 locations, new electrical feeder cabinets, and associated trenching and cabling works.

In addition, Trojan Energy has awarded VolkerSmart Technologies the electrical network connection contract to the in-house independent connections team. This provides a more efficient and costeffective solution, removing the need to wait for a third party to make the connections. Traffic management design work has also been awarded to VolkerHighways’ in-house traffic

management division. The division may also be called upon if there are more complex traffic management requirements on site.

The EV chargers are a new design which sit flat and flush within the footway. This leaves footways entirely clear and fully accessible to other pavement users, when not in use. This is essential for wheelchair users, those pushing buggies or pedestrians with a visual impairment, as it significantly reduces collision hazards.

To support with the installation, VolkerSmart Technologies provided early contractor engagement with the client to develop a bespoke ‘jig’. This has created a more efficient and safer installation process.

APCOA Urban Mobility Hub schematic

Energy storage systems to support EV drivers on England’s motorways

National Highways hires Ameresco to upgrade seven service areas

National Highways is supporting electric vehicle drivers via investment in energy storage systems to support high-powered charging infrastructure.

The government-owned organisation has awarded an £8m energy storage systems contract to Ameresco, which will upgrade seven motorway service areas where the grid supply is not enough for high-powered charging infrastructure.

Supported by Costain, it is hoped the move will help bring an end to ‘charge anxiety’ by improving access to chargepoints across England’s motorways at sites with poor National Grid connectivity for EV drivers. The priority sites include:

• Beaconsfield on the M40

• Corley on the M6 Northbound

• Clacket Lane on the M25, both Eastbound and Westbound

• Maidstone on the M20

• Taunton on the M5 Northbound

• Tebay on the M6 Northbound.

The energy storage systems, which are essentially giant battery packs, support high-powered chargers with the aim that all motorway service areas will have at least six high-powered, open access chargepoints by the end of 2023.

Malcolm Wilkinson, head of energy for

National Highways, said: “We are working differently and innovating to support the switch to zero-emission journeys.

“Whilst we have limited control over the number of petrol and diesel cars on the network, by supporting the expansion of the high-powered chargepoints network, we hope to increase EV drivers’ confidence for all types of journeys, both long and short. These new energy storage systems and the high-powered chargers they supply will help ensure that motorists are unlikely to be caught without somewhere to charge, which is a fantastic move for drivers and the environment accelerating the speed in which we transition to new electric vehicles.”

Transport decarbonisation minister Jesse Norman said: “Expanding the UK’s rapid charging network is essential if

SWARCO Smart Charging taps into Connected Energy storage systems

more people are to switch to electric vehicles, and should make charging cheaper and more convenient.

“Drivers today are never more than 25 miles away from a rapid chargepoint anywhere on England’s motorways and major A roads. But this news marks another innovative step to making sure that rapid charging is accessible and reliable for drivers.”

Ameresco will work with the motorway service area operators Extra, Roadchef, Welcome Break and Westmorland to support them making applications to the local authority for planning permission and to the distribution network operators to secure permission to connect the energy storage system to the grid.

Ameresco says it is on track to have all seven energy storage systems installed by the end of September 2023.

charging hardware with Connected Energy’s E-STOR system, which is made entirely from second life electric vehicle batteries to provide on-site energy storage.

E-STOR can be linked to renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaic panels allowing charging points to be powered by renewable energy, with excess power generated from the renewable sources stored until it is needed.

The 24, second-life EV batteries used within each E-STOR come from Renault Kangoos.

does not have the power required to meet demand, active charger management can be provided to avoid peak load spikes.

Matthew Lumsden, chief executive of Connected Energy, said: “Our energy storage solutions, using second life EV batteries, seamlessly works together with renewable technologies and EV charging technologies to give chargepoint owners ultimate flexibility over the energy required to deliver EV charging,”

SWARCO Smart Charging and Connected Energy have joined forces to roll out EV charging across the UK.

The collaboration aims to address two significant barriers to EV adoption: energy capacity and costly and time-consuming District Network

Operator improvements.

SWARCO is an EV infrastructure provider, while Connected Energy is a supplier of second life battery energy storage systems (BESS).

SWARCO Smart Charging will now be able to integrate its portfolio of EV

Bringing battery storage and EV charging solutions together can benefit large fleet depots or public charging hubs, where capacity is an issue. By drawing energy – either from the grid or from renewables – and storing it, energy is available to meet spikes in demand during busy charging periods, ensuring that drivers get the amount of power they expect when they plug in. For locations where a site simply

SWARCO Smart Charging’s managing director, Justin Meyer, added: “Since we helped pioneer the installation of charging points in the UK more than a decade ago, as the size and scale of projects increases, we have seen EV charging projects hampered by the lack of electricity capacity. It is a constant issue, and one that until now has been difficult to overcome, resulting in EV charging roll out being scaled back, relocated away from preferred sites, or delayed.”

Energy storage system schematic

Organised by: Headline Sponsors:

Presented by:

Creating connected spaces

Wednesday 17 May 2023 l 15 Hatfields, London SE1

Mobility hubs are spaces where public, shared and active travel modes are co-located alongside improvements to the public realm. They enable travellers to make smooth and safe transfers between different modes, swapping private cars for shared vehicles, bikes, buses, trains, scooters or walking.

When reimagined as mobility hubs, car parks and park & ride sites are no longer just somewhere to store vehicles. Instead they become genuine interchanges. Meanwhile, the provision electric vehicle (EV) charging points at mobility hubs supports the transition to zeroemission vehicles.

The emergence of service hubs is also seeing car parks being transformed into logistics bases for last-mile delivery services, click & collect locations and homes to dark kitchens and dark stores.

The second annual Mobility Hubs conference sees speakers and expert panels explore the design, implementation and operation of mobility, EV and service hubs. The day will draw on real world experience and showcase best practice from around the UK and internationally.

Who will be attending

l Car park operators

l Local authorities

l Property companies

l Car club operators

l Micro-mobility specialists

l Logistics companies

l EV charging providers

l Consultants

l Architects

l Facility managers

l Public transport operators

l Retailers

l Construction and refurbishment contractors

l App developers

l Technology providers

The programme

If you are interested in speaking or taking part in a panel contact Mark Moran at: mark.moran@landor.co.uk

Exhibitors include: www.mobilityhubs.uk

Sponsorship & exhibition

The event’s exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your systems and services. To find out how your organisation can be part of the day contact Jason Conboy on: jason.conboy@landor.co.uk