EV Myth Busting

Busting misconceptions about electric vehicles

New petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold in the UK from 2035, so, before long, more of us will be behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. But there are a number of concerns and misconceptions about EVs that are still making people think twice. Here the National Grid addresses some of the most common EV myths

Myth 1: The electricity grid won’t be able to handle the increase in EVs

There are two aspects to whether the electricity grid can manage lots of EVs being plugged in at once: whether enough electricity is available; and whether the wires that carry that electricity have enough capacity to do so.

It’s important to remember that the shift to EVs is happening gradually – not overnight. Renewable energy sources are constantly being developed to supply us with more clean and green electricity, and we’re constantly ‘evolving’ the electricity grid to be better equipped to handle it.

A main source of concern here is the scenario of all EV owners charging their EVs at the same time. So is it possible to spread out the demand, while still making sure we all get our EVs charged when we need it?

With this in mind, the UK Government has introduced Electric Vehicle Smart Charge Points Regulations, which ensure that EV charge points will have smart functionality; allowing the charging to happen when there is less demand on the grid, or when more renewable (and therefore often cheaper) electricity is available. This means that no matter what time you plug in your car, it will charge when you need it but can automatically pause during those peaks when demand on the grid is highest and energy is most expensive.

The most demand for electricity in recent years in the UK was for 62GW in 2002. Since then, the nation’s peak demand has fallen by roughly 16 per cent due to improvements in energy efficiency.

Even if we all switched to EVs overnight, we believe demand would only increase by around 10 per cent. So we’d still be using less power as a nation than we did in 2002 and this is well within the range of manageable load fluctuation.

A significant amount of electricity is used to refine oil for petrol and diesel. Fully Charged’s video Volts for Oil estimates that refining 1 gallon of petrol would use around 4.5kWh of electricity – so, as we start to use less petrol or diesel cars, some of that electricity capacity could become available.

Myth 2: The electricity used to charge EVs is created by burning fossil fuels, so there are still emissions involved

More and more of our electricity now comes from renewable, green or clean energy sources, and zero-carbon power in Britain’s electricity mix has grown from less than 20 per cent in 2010 to nearly 50 per cent in 2021. With the growth in onshore and offshore wind farms and the closure of a number of coal plants, transport is in fact now the most polluting thing the UK does as a nation.

Our energy system is also becoming more flexible to maximise on this cleaner energy whenever it’s available. Apps like the WhenToPlugIn app, as well as new legislation and smart energy tariffs, are all helping us manage our electricity use – for example, Smart Chargers that can start or pause our EV charging to ensure it’s using the cleanest and cheapest power.

Myth 3: EVs are slower than petrol and diesel cars

Formula E racing is a great example of just how fast EVs can go. A Formula E car can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 2.8 seconds – faster than most Ferraris. They can have a top speed of 174mph (280km/h), equivalent to travelling from London to Edinburgh in just over two hours. Definitely no issues with slowness there.

For normal EVs outside the racing world, top speeds aren’t really any different to other cars, but they accelerate more quickly so can ‘feel’ faster. This is because you get the maximum torque (leading to acceleration) from the minute you start rolling, whereas you need to ‘rev up’ an internal combustion engine car to get maximum power and torque.

Myth 4: EVs are much more expensive than petrol and diesel equivalents

It’s true that products based on new technology do tend to be more expensive for early adopters. But, as they become more mainstream and volumes increase, prices typically come down – look at mobile phones for example.

EV battery prices are already falling, which helps with this. So we absolutely expect the upfront cost of new EVs to reduce over the next few years.

For those looking to buy used rather than new, the current uptick of supply in new EVs will hit the second hand EVs market fairly soon.

It’s also important to look not just at the initial outlay for your car but the ‘whole life cost’, which means considering its running costs and how well it retains its value. It seems that EVs are depreciating less than petrol and diesel cars, so you might well get more payback when the time comes for you to trade in or sell on.

Even though EVs currently have higher purchase prices, they’re cheaper to run – costing much less than petrol or diesel, at as little as 2p per mile if you charge at E

 the right time of day or night. EVs have fewer moving parts too, meaning they should also have lower servicing costs. Incentives may also be available to lower the price of an EV, such as the government’s plug-in grants, which are now available for vans, taxis and trucks.

Myth 5: We’ll end up with lots of EV batteries going into landfill

The lithium ion technology in our mobile phones is not dissimilar to those in an electric vehicle, but what’s different is that EVs have effective power management systems that guard the long-term health of their batteries. Most manufacturers are offering battery warranties of seven or eight years, or around 100,000 miles, but there’s a reasonable expectation that they will actually last longer than that and indeed outlive the car itself.

Even if a battery became no longer fit for use in the car it won’t end up in that landfill site, as it can either be recycled or given a second life as an energy storage unit for homes or businesses.

Myth 6: Electric vehicles don’t go far enough on a single charge and take a long time to charge

The sweet-spot for the range of an EV is between 200 and 300 miles. This gives the optimal balance between cost and range. Most people don’t need a range of more than this; after the time it takes to drive this distance most of us need a pit stop anyway.

Statistically in the UK, the first car in a family does around 37 miles a day on average and any second car covers around 11 miles daily.

Understandably people don’t, however, buy for their average journeys – they buy for the longest ones they do. In reality, when we take longer trips, most of us already do stop for 15-20 minutes at a service station, to grab a drink, use the toilet or fill up on petrol or diesel. That would be all the time it takes to power up your EV with the new range of ultrarapid chargers that are already available.

Charging an EV can take as little as 30 minutes or up to 12 hours – it all depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point.

A Nissan LEAF with a 40kW battery, for example, would take around five hours to charge from empty with a 7kW home charging point, whereas a Polestar with a 78kW battery would take around 10 hours. A rapid charger at a motorway service station, however, could charge your car to full in about 30 minutes.

The charging rate can also differ depending on the ambient temperature, the state of the battery (e.g. empty or half full) and the maximum charging rate of the vehicle.

Similar to your mobile phone though, up to 80% of your charging will likely be at home, including while you’re sleeping.

Myth 7: The infrastructure isn’t able to support a lot of people driving electric vehicles – especially in rural areas

In the UK, National Grid has proposed the optimum locations for adequate grid capacity to enable others to provide ultra-fast chargers, ensuring that nobody on the strategic road network (motorways and principle dual carriageways) is further than 50 driven miles from ultra-rapid charging. This will give drivers consistency, continuity and therefore confidence that their main – or only – car can be electric.

Myth 8: Electric cars break down more than normal cars

Electric cars are actually shown to break down less than combustion vehicles, as they have fewer moving parts. They also require less maintenance, fewer fluids and their brake systems generally last longer due to regenerative braking.

Edmund King, president of the UK’s biggest breakdown organisation, the AA, told The Clean Energy Revolution podcast: “There is a massive misconception; 99 per cent of people in a survey of 15,000 exaggerated by quite a lot the number of EVs that would break down from running out of charge - it’s less than four per cent, and 50 per cent of them aren’t actually out of charge, they’re low on charge and maybe a little bit worried.”

He continued: “The biggest reason we’re being called out for EVs [breaking down] is exactly the same as for conventional cars.” L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.nationalgrid.com

Powering our electric future, today

How can we prepare for the coming unprecedented electricity demand? Upgrading society’s electrical infrastructure is pivotal, says Vattenfall’s Zandra Salomonsson.

This year, Europe has been struck with multiple blows to its energy security: eyewatering fuel costs instigated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the deepening climate emergency; and pandemic-driven demand shock to name a few. These critical events have highlighted the fragility of our energy markets, accelerating national efforts to transition towards clean electricity and away from fossil-fuel dependency.

In other words – our race to an electric future has officially begun.

While the UK government are making efforts to produce and procure the additional power for our electric future, getting it to where it’s needed is an additional challenge. Charging electric vehicles and powering operations which were previously driven by fossil fuels requires upgrading the UK’s electricity networks, to support our transition towards a more resilient economic future.

Upgrade today, prepare for tomorrow

As interest in electric energy powers up, networks are set to undergo the biggest transition since the super grid was established in the 1950s. Currently, most businesses’ on-site private wire networks and electrical infrastructure cannot sufficiently cope with the unprecedented power demands, meaning significant upgrades are required to efficiently (and safely) transition.

Upgrading today to cope with a switch from a gas-powered boiler to electric or powering an EV fleet tomorrow is a prudent plan; leaving it until the last moment could have significant consequences. A shortage of equipment, expertise, and increased wait times for business’ upgraded or new grid connections could cause bottlenecks, downtime and become a competitive disadvantage.

Outsourcing: a cost-effective solution

Fortunately, there is a means to futureproof a company’s high voltage electrical infrastructure for zero up-front cost: outsourcing. Instead of tying up capital in expensive electrical infrastructure, companies can outsource the risks and responsibilities for EV charging and other electrical upgrades through Power-as-a-Service.

Vattenfall’s IDNO business provides ‘cash-back’ via Asset Adoption Value payments for new or upgraded grid connections, while Power-as-a-Service covers the cost of new high voltage electrical infrastructure (like transformers) or upgrades to existing networks (like EV charge points). The CAPEX for solar PV panels and batteries can also be included, improving a business’ energy resilience. Ultimately, planning ahead is essential for the UK to go fossil free. And with consumer demand predicted to rise dramatically in the next 10, 20, 30 years, hitting the mark for essential upgrades has never been more advantageous. Why wait? L

FURTHER INFORMATION

vattenfall.co.uk

Why fleets shouldn’t fear transitioning to EV

AssetWorks provides a fleet ecosystem with sustainability at the core of its software. From fleet management to telematics, AssetWorks has spent over 40 years perfecting its cloud-based technology to provide an outstanding commitment to safety, compliance, sustainability, and integration

Our ecosystems help organisations control every asset interaction within the fleet management journey, from acquisition to disposal.

Managing more than 14 million assets, AssetWorks is a leader in understanding and developing solutions for transition challenges. We know that transitioning to EV can be overwhelming but here are four fleet advantages to embracing EV sooner:

EV helps preventative maintenance

Oil changes are a lot of labour for technicians, but if fleets do not have fleet management software, it can be harder to keep up with preventive maintenance. Not only does fleet management software help, but EVs are a solution as well. Even though you continuously hear more about EVs as production continues to increase, 61 per cent of fleet managers are not confident about their knowledge of electric vehicles.

If cutting out oil changes is not enough of a benefit to owning an EV, many other benefits can help save you money. The average annual cost of running an EV is 49 per cent, or £1,306, cheaper than petrol or diesel cars. EV batteries also last longer than engines and are good for over 100,000 miles. Not only is the running cost less in EVs, but seven out of nine electric cars hold a better value over a four-year lease compared to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. Even if the initial cost of an EV is outside of your budget, there are ways around it.

EV is cost-effective

Despite the price of EVs being higher than ICE vehicles, they do have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) because they require less maintenance and no fuel. If a new EV is too costly, there is the option to purchase a used EV instead. Either way, within the next four to five years it is predicted EVs will be cheaper than other ICE vehicles once they meet their price parity. The UK also offers grants to assist with the cost and installation of EVs. Grants have been offered by the UK Government to help people purchase and install charging points at home.

There are also workplace ChargePoint schemes which benefit both employee and employer. There are lots of incentives to transition to EV in the UK.

EVs are the next sustainable step

Mike Gadd, AssetWorks managing director believes the first step of any carbon reduction activity has got to be the exploitation of what’s available in the market today. He said: “A blended strategy of EV, as well as other alternative fuel types, must be the first step into managing carbon reduction within your organisation. In the next five years, we may improve on EVs, but other alternative fuel types have their place with heavy fleets. Without a doubt, battery technology is going to improve - the length and time of batteries’ capabilities and the marketplace is going to improve. It may not be the only powertrain for the future brings but it is certainly the first step on the journey.”

EV can go the distance (well, around 200 miles)

The job of your fleet is to drive, so you may be worried about your drivers not being able to travel a distance without having to stop for a recharge. Eighty-eight per cent of EVs can go over 200 miles without having to be charged. The average daily drive is under 30 miles, so in the rare case a driver does a long drive, there are close to 29 thousand public chargers in the UK. The number of public chargers will continue to increase alongside the production of EVs.

By the end of 2022 the majority of cars on the road will be electric, so that means more fleets will be transitioning to electric as well. Despite all the benefits of having an electric fleet, the transition may still be worrisome. Those at AssetWorks understand those worries and have created the solution to help, FuelFocusEV. Not only does FuelFocusEV help manage EVs, but it helps fleets get the most out of EV charging. Whether an employee charges at a private or public charging station, the software automatically imports the charging transaction. The software will make sure to import the time of the charge session and the kilowatt per hour cost.

By switching to EVs you are already set to save money, but FuelFocusEV helps you save and improve the accuracy in capital planning. You will save money and time by accurately accounting for both private and electric charging sessions. Ready to transform your operations? Schedule a custom demo of AssetWorks FuelFocusEV to learn how you can benefit your fleet through modern software technology. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

You can contact us on our website at assetworks.co.uk, via email at communications@assetworks.com or call us on 0161 927 3680.

SYNETIQ – Preparing the nation for an electric takeover

As one of the UK’s largest integrated salvage, dismantling and vehicle recycling companies, Sarah Hirst, Client and Green Parts Director sheds a light on how SYNETIQ is preparing for an EV future.

With the recent announcement of the government’s multimillion pound Local EV Infrastructure scheme for the installation of more than 1,000 EV chargers across the country, it’s clear that as a country, the UK is stepping up its preparation efforts ahead of the 2030 ban of petrol and diesel vehicle sales.

This will ultimately have a domino effect on the vehicle recycling industry and we’re already seeing more and more EVs come through our doors.

Over the past three years, we’ve seen a fivefold increase of EV vehicles being recovered and a tenfold in EVs being dismantled (based on 2020 and 2021). This year alone, we’ve already surpassed this increase and we’ve still got a few months to go until the end of 2022.

So, as one of the largest vehicle recycling companies in the UK – what are we doing to make sure we’re ready to safely handle this increase in EVs?

The most important word in that sentence is ‘safely’. As a recycler we have the responsibility to make sure we dispose of EV batteries in the safest, most cost effective, and sustainable way possible for our clients. The good news is we’re already well underway on our journey.

Last year, we opened the doors to our new EV Dismantling and Recycling Centre along with three bespoke, specialist, battery storage units to safely home both EV battery packs as well as smaller PHEV units. Each unit is equipped with a fire suppression system as well as being installed on its own concrete pad to ensure total separation from other operations.

We recognise the safety implications that come hand-in-hand when physically working with EVs. From the point of collection through to dismantling, colleagues at every stage of the process have been trained to correctly and safely handle EVs.

Our next steps

The safe disposal of EV batteries is new to us all, that’s why we’re collaborating with several different organisations to make sure we’re doing everything we can to solve the industry-wide challenge and exploring all potential avenues for the end-of-life recycling process for EV batteries. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

We will soon be in a position to share our findings with you but in the meantime, if you would like any more information, please feel free to get in contact with me sarah.hirst@synetiq.co.uk.

Transitioning to Net Zero?

Omnia Smart Technologies has created an intuitive blueprint that provides guidance and actions to complete when transitioning to net zero from start to finish. What follows is a brief overview outlining some of the logic behind the blueprint

When a plan comes together

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote may be overused, but that doesn’t make its message any less powerful: plan well, and you diminish the chance of failure. However, planning alone is far from enough. Execution is of course vital, and to successfully transition to net zero, processes are key. What processes though? What exactly does holistically transitioning to net zero entail?

The good news is that Omnia Smart Technologies has created - and successfully implemented – an intuitive blueprint that provides guidance and actionables to complete what is potentially the very complex undertaking of transitioning to net zero from start to finish. What follows is a brief overview outlining some of the logic behind our blueprint.

Where to start?

Many local authorities and businesses are uncertain where to start when it comes to transitioning to net zero. Most often the hurdle is not budget itself, but rather how to get the wheels turning and begin the process. While budget certainly plays a decisive role in the larger scheme of things, the fact is that simply purchasing electric vehicles is not enough. There are a host of additional factors that are potentially not considered – many that are in fact unknowns.

Without a proper plan in place (or indeed, sufficient experience), it may seem adequate to simply purchase a certain number of electric vehicles (and chargers) to replace the same amount in an existing fleet. Experience has shown that this is almost never the case and doing so may be catastrophic in the sense that whole budgets can be spent without considering the steps that need to be followed post-purchase. A thorough understanding of the separate parts that make up the whole is crucial when rolling out a successful transition to net zero.

When transitioning to net zero there are three key aspects that need to be taken into account: operations, infrastructure, and vehicles. The more complex aspects of the transition process are the operational elements such as effects on service delivery, and this is often where uncertainty sets in. This is mainly due to the fact that by and large there is little guidance when it comes to successfully navigating these waters. Omnia, itself and through its partners, has helped organisations analyse fleets, charging capacity and operations. Vehicle replacement plans are also a key component in assisting with meeting Net Zero targets. In our experience, a holistic approach to the transformation process is of utmost importance.

A blueprint for success

It has become an absolute necessity for professionals to provide services that isolate potential (and inevitable) stumbling blocks that are bound to arise operationally, and then guide organisations through the processes that need to be followed to ensure a smooth and holistic transformation to net zero. Embarking on this endeavour without first consulting those with experience is bound to result in delays, or worse.

For example, consider a company such as Omnia Smart Technologies – our transport optimisation background combined with our understanding of electric vehicles and infrastructure gives us the ability to look at problems from an operational view and remove barriers. We show organisations that if they implement our blueprint, we can illustrate what parts of the operation are achievable to transition to net zero, as well as when is optimal.

The Omnia blueprint is intuitive enough to be superimposed upon organisations of varying types and sizes. This step-bystep blueprint can be followed to assist local authorities and other organisations in confidently transitioning to a sustainable greener fleet. Blueprints such as the one we have developed provide insights on which vehicles to convert, infrastructure configuration, technology requirements, vehicle funding options, service transformation options, cashable savings and more. These are the peripherals that are so often overlooked – elements that, if ignored, can lead to serious gaps and delays in the transition process.

The ability to show customers – through using their own data – that they can maintain service delivery levels using zero emission vehicles is paramount to the transition process. Regardless of where an organisation may be on their journey, it is crucial that a holistic approach is taken.L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.omniasmarttechnologies.com