The electric vehicle market in the UK is gaining momentum and the popularity of electric vehicles is steadily growing.
Plug in cars now account for over 10% of UK car sales (Source: autocar.co.uk). With this comes the necessity that electric vehicle users are supported by a reliable and frequent network of electric vehicle charging points.
Wherever these points are located, be it at home, work or en-route, as the landowner looking to install charging points on your site or property, we would advise you to act sooner rather than later. Though Ofgem has confirmed they are confident that they can support future charging requirements there are going to be limitations on the distribution infrastructure.
Every substation throughout the UK, used to step down electricity drawn from the grid to a lower voltage that can be fed into a property, has a limit on their power output. This means that regardless of the number of users at any one time there is always a cap on the amount of power available to share amongst them, this is why at peak times you might see lights flicker or even experience blackouts.
If we think of every electric vehicle charge point as an additional user then it is easier to understand why the industry is concerned. The energy needed to support future demand may be available at a national level, but it cannot be guaranteed at a local level. At least not without costly investment in upgrading the energy infrastructure. We are going to see a race to install and grab the power first to avoid the potential cost of the upgrade.
Ultimately these upgrades are going to become increasingly necessary but for large projects, such as an EV charging forecourt, they are a more affordable investment they would be for the installation of only a couple of charge points. The sooner you consider your EV charging needs the better.
Read more EV articles:
Electric vehicle charging: it’s all about location, location, location
Why landlords need to think of EV charging as the technology of today
Why local authorities and landlords must act fast to facilitate the growth in electric vehicles