Charging ahead

Most chargers funded by private sector, reports Peter Plisner

The number of publicly available electric vehicle charging points has risen 37% in the last year, according to figures published by the Department for Transport (DfT). Around 7,600 additional chargers have been installed across the UK since last January.

There has also been a similar rise when it comes to new rapid chargers with 33% more than last year, with the number rising by another 1,276. While many EV drivers charge at home and make short journeys, for those wanting to travel further more rapid chargers are seen as vital.

The data shows that, as of 1 January 2022 ,there were 28,375 public electric vehicle charging devices available in the UK. Of the total devices available, 5,156 were rapid chargers.

Compared to 1 October 2021, the number of available devices increased by 2,448, an increase of 9%, rapid devices increased by 233, up 5%, and there was an increase in total and rapid devices across all regions of the UK.

The figures also reveal what the DfT suggests is an “uneven geographical distribution” of charging devices across the UK. Some UK local authorities have bid for funding, while others have not, according to the DfT. Northern Ireland, the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside were amongst the lowest with less that 30 chargers per 100k of population.

However, outside London places like Scotland, the North East and the South East have the greatest numbers of chargers per 100k of population. Scotland, the North East and the South East also had the highest number of rapid chargers.

The data released by the DfT was sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform ZapMap. Its database is said to cover 95% of publicly accessible devices.

The DfT suggests that the majority of charging devices have been funded by private sector investment, but a number of the chargers have been government funded via a number of grant schemes operated by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). OZEV also provides grant funding for private domestic charging and workplace chargers.

The increases in the number of chargers comes as the owner of one of the country’s biggest networks, BP, has reported that the operation of fast EV chargers is close to becoming more profitable than filling up a petrol car. It comes after years of losses because of high investment costs.

BP’s head of customers and products Emma Delaney said: “If I think about a tank of fuel versus a fast charge, we are nearing a place where the business fundamentals on the fast charge are better than they are on the fuel. Overall, we see a huge opportunity in fast charging for consumers and businesses, as well as fleet services.”

The majority of BP’s investment appears to be in DC fastcharging infrastructure, often defined as more than 50kW. Other networks, including Ionity and Tesla, are offering faster charging facilities, but the installation of faster devices often requires a considerable capital investment.

The increasing profitability of chargers marks BP’s shift from oil into greener forms of power. The company said that electricity sales for EV charging grew 45% in the third quarter of 2021 from the previous quarter. December last year was the first month ever that a battery electric vehicle (BEV), outsold other vehicles.

Growth in public charging devices since 2015

Source: DfT/Zap-Map

Scottish Government unveils draft EV vision

The Scottish Government has published a draft vision statement for public electric vehicle (EV) charging in Scotland. The vision document aims to place people and businesses first, outlining the accessible, affordable and reliable public network required for the future.

Building on existing provision and seeking to deliver more of the right chargers in the right places, a new public EV charging fund will be launched in Scotland that seeks to attract investment from the private sector.

The fund will provide up to £60m to local authorities over the next four years, with approximately half of the funding anticipated to be invested from the private sector. The move, according to the Scottish Government, has the potential to double the size of the country’s public charging network.

Michael Matheson, cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport, said: “I’m pleased to outline a new vision for the public electric vehicle charging network. Even though we prioritise funding in active travel and sustainable public transport, cars and vans will still have a role to play and particularly in rural areas. To meet our climate targets, we need these vehicles to be electric, and so we require a seamless network of public electric vehicle chargers, that works for everyone, all of the time.

“Our draft vision provides a clear picture of what electric vehicle charging networks must deliver for drivers across Scotland, and our priorities for achieving those changes. We need a just transition, where accessibility, availability and reliability is key and where no one is left behind from the positive shift to a zero emission transport system – including rural and island communities.”

To speed up new strategies and help better identify chargepoint requirements across Scotland, the cabinet secretary also announced £350,000 to support six pathfinder projects across Scotland.

“I understand the concerns people have raised around the potential for charging infrastructure impeding pedestrian access to pavements and their ability to move around freely,” Matheson said. “We can do things better. And I am pleased to confirm that we will soon begin working with design specialists at V&A Dundee to plan a public network that works for all. This ground breaking approach will see people’s diverse needs and interests shape the future network.”

The draft vision statement has been developed as part of work Transport Scotland has been undertaking with Scottish Futures Trust on Scotland’s public EV charging network. It follows on from a joint report published in July 2021 that identified the opportunities for growing the electric vehicle charging network to meet future demand. Over the next 12 months, the draft vision will be reviewed and refined through continued engagement and insight.

Michael Matheson

Park and Charge EV payment system launched in Essex

Drivers of electric vehicles in Colchester can pay for using charging points using the new cashless Park and Charge system. Colchester Borough Council launched three electric vehicle charging points in the Essex town’s Priory Street car park

The charging points are the first in the UK to offer the new MiPermit Park and Charge service, which enables customers to pay for both charging and parking in one quick and easy transaction through the MiPermit app.

The Park and Charge system is being run by a partnership comprising of Colchester Borough Council, the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP), cashless payment provider MiPermit and EV infrastructure specialist Mobilize Power Solutions.

The partners hopes to install more chargers using the Park and Charge service across the borough once funding is secured. Potential sites have been identified and are being prioritised to ensure residents and visitors benefit as quickly as possible.

Cllr Simon Crow, portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said: “By working in partnership we can now offer EV charging in one of our town centre car parks. Not only does this help our efforts to protect the environment but shows the innovative approach we are taking with others to help play our part. This is a crucial first step in implementing an EV charging infrastructure across the borough and the prospect of an EV car club is a key part of this. It will provide a great benefit to residents and an opportunity to use more sustainable transport.

“I hope this and the other measures we are putting in place gives more residents the confidence to make the switch to electric vehicles.”

The MiPermit Park and Charge service enables residents and visitors to pay for their usual parking stay and for the electricity used to charge their vehicle (£0.25 per kWh) in one transaction via the MiPermit app.

Users will be able to park and charge for a maximum of four hours to ensure fair rotation of the bays. Bay sensor technology, which was recently deployed in Crouch Street, has been installed to help monitor misuse remotely and to improve the communication of available charging points via the MiPermit app.

Simon Cheung, head of business development, MiPermit, said: “We are pleased to be working on this joint initiative for the first location to pilot our new Park and Charge service. After a successful testing phase, we’re excited to roll out the product to the public and look forward to hearing their feedback.”

Mark Dickens, managing director of Mobilize Solutions, said: “It’s great to be involved in the council’s environment strategy. Working together, we can ensure residents and businesses have access to the latest EV charging facilities, which will encourage more electric vehicle drivers.”

During the pilot of the Park and Charge service, residents and users of the charging points will have the opportunity to feed back on their experience and the scheme through an online survey. This will also help the council to understand the demand for EV charging points across the borough.

NEPP will be considering how existing resident permits and season tickets might be developed to include the cost of EV charging.

One of the new EV bays may also become a dedicated electric car club space later in the year. Electric car clubs give members the excellent opportunity to trial electric vehicles before making the move to own one and allow 24-hour access to a pay-as-yougo electric vehicle. Insurance and the cost of electricity is all included in the fee.

Colchester Borough Council is also supporting Essex County Council in developing a wider on-street EV charging strategy to ensure that demand for charging points in both on and off-street parking locations can be met.

Park and Charge is one of several measures being developed by the council in response to the climate emergency.

Cabinet member Cllr Simon Crow and council leader Cllr Paul Dundas

MFG plans to open 60 EV hubs in 2022

Motor Fuel Group (MFG) plans to invest over £50m in 2022 on dual-fuel and EV-only sites across its nationwide portfolio. The construction programme forms part of a commitment to invest £400m in EV infrastructure by 2030

During 2022 MFG will install over 350 ultra-rapid 150kW EV chargers at 60 hubs throughout the UK. Beyond the 60 new hubs scheduled for opening in 2022, MFG will energise a further 20 sites that were completed in the final months of 2021.

The MFG hubs will consist of between four and eight ultra-rapid 150kW chargers per site. The 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.

The investment in 2022 builds on a £40m EV investment undertaken in 2021 which saw MFG boost the national ultrarapid EV charging infrastructure, as well as opening a forecourt in Putney, west London, and the North West of England’s first dedicated ultra-rapid EV-only site in Manchester.

Alongside its investment in EV charging infrastructure, MFG spent £50m improving its retail, food to go, and valeting offer to the consumer in 2021.

Over the coming decades, MFG said it plans to 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: “We have already invested significantly, and are ahead of the curve, on EV charging across our portfolio. We have an ambitious roll-out programme for 2022 which is focussed on our network throughout the UK.

“Our EV sites are modern in design and provide a high-quality retail and consumer experience for the community and for motorists to use whilst charging their vehicles.”

MFG’s Putney forecourt

20 Electric Hubs and two Electric Forecourts under construction

Gridserve has announced plans to open more than 20 electric hubs, each featuring up to a dozen ultra high-power electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints with contactless payment, at motorway service stations across the UK. The majority of the hubs should be installed by the end of March, with a further 50 additional hub sites set to follow.

Two Electric Forecourt facilities situated adjacent to major transport routes and motorways are also in construction, due to open in 2022. The forecourts will be a flagship site at Gatwick Airport and one near Norwich.

Toddington Harper, chief executive of Gridserve, said: “Getting people into electric vehicles is a big part of our vision but to do that, charging has to be simple and free of anxiety, which is why we’ve designed our network entirely around the needs of drivers, listening to our customers’ needs and providing the best possible level of customer service to deliver the confidence people need to make the switch to electric transport today, eight years ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.”

Several additional Electric Forecourt sites have planning permission including Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth and Bromborough, while 30 additional sites also under development as part of plans to deliver over 100 Electric Forecourts.

Some of the Electric Hubs are being located in areas traditionally left behind in the EV transition, including Wales and Cornwall, as part of Gridserve’s commitment to giving drivers everywhere the confidence to go electric well ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars.

The 20 Electric Hubs will each feature between six and 12 350kW ultra high-power chargers with contactless payment and CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes.

The investment programme follows the acquisition of Ecotricity’s Electric Highway network in June 2021. Since the acquisition, Gridserve has replaced over 300 existing motorway chargers it inherited from Ecotricity, and installing 130 additional AC chargers to cater for all types of EVs.

The Electric Hubs are being created in partnership with service area operator Moto.

Ken McMeikan, chief executive of Moto, said: “Moto’s vision is to transform the UK’s rest stop experience and we are passionate about enabling motorists to switch to electric cars, safe in the knowledge they will have great EV facilities available on motorways.”

Design for the Gatwick forecourt

The Fulham hub

Shell opens all-electric forecourt

Shell has opened its first electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in the UK in Fulham, west London, where petrol and diesel pumps at an existing fuel station have been replaced with ultra-rapid chargepoints.

A global pilot, this is the first time the company has converted one of its existing sites to cater solely for electric vehicles.

Shell Fulham features nine highpowered, ultra-rapid 175kW chargepoints which can charge most vehicles from 0-80% within 10 minutes, three times faster than more widely used 50kW rapid chargers.

István Kapitány, Shell’s global executive vice president for mobility said: “EV drivers are looking for a charging experience that is as fast, convenient and comfortable as possible. This is exactly what Shell Fulham aims to offer. It joins our growing network of Shell Recharge sites at forecourts and other locations, our Ubitricity on-street charging network, and our Shell Recharge Solutions for homes and businesses as we increasingly help EV drivers to charge wherever they need it. It also gives us all a glimpse into the future of mobility.”

Shell Fulham features a sustainable design including a timber canopy with built-in solar panels, and roof and shop windows that employ double glazing with high insulating properties. Like all of Shell’s EV chargers in the UK, including those at over 100 Shell forecourts, the chargers at Shell Fulham run on 100% certified renewable electricity.

The hub includes a comfortable seating area, free Wi-Fi, a Costa Coffee cafe and an extensive Little Waitrose & Partners.

Shell has previously stated an ambition to install 50,000 on-street chargers in the UK by 2025 through Shell-owned company Ubitricity, and in July 2021 announced that up to 800 Shell electric vehicle charging points would be installed in as many as 100 Waitrose sites across the UK by 2025.