Government consults on future of UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure

Consultation outline government's approach and objectives for smart charging of EVs

Government consults on future of UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure

The government has opened a consultation on the UK’s approach to electric vehicle (EV) smart charging.

Proposals have been put forward for regulations to ensure that EV chargepoints sold or installed in the UK have smart charging functionality.

Additionally, the government is also researching what is needed to implement a long term solution for EV charging and how chargepoint data could be used help ensure better electricity network planning.

“Smart charging”

The Department for Transport said: “The time at which EV charging occurs, and its power level, could have significant implications for the electricity system.

“We expect charging at home to continue to be central to the charging ecosystem and are taking steps to facilitate this by separately consulting on introducing requirements in Building Regulations for every new home with a car parking space to have a chargepoint.

EV charge points for new build homes

“Without smart charging, EV charging is likely to happen during existing electricity system peak times when many people arrive home from work.

“This would require significant levels of additional investment in both the networks that transport the electricity and in electrical generation capacity to meet demand, with the costs borne ultimately by consumers.

Modulate charging

“The ability to delay or modulate charging could result in better balancing of the electricity system and reduce the need for costly network upgrades.

“This value can be passed through to consumers via cheaper electricity tariffs or other offerings such as rewards for smart charging, making an EV less costly to run, and allowing consumers to take action on reducing their costs.”

Many chargepoints on the market are not currently smart and the consultation report claims smart charging will be key to enabling the rapid uptake of EVs needed to meet the government’s targets.

In its Road to Zero Strategy, the government set out that all new cars and vans should be effectively zero emission by 2040.

The consultation closes on October 7, 2019.

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