The Challenges of Transitioning to Electric Vehicles

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Why Does the Transition to EVs Remain Anything But Simple? | Future Business

Infrastructure Pain

The UK, and indeed much of the world, has a massive infrastructure of petrol stations. Why not convert these as charging stations for EVs?

Simple, these stations have a commercial imperative to sell petrol. So, either that commercial incentive has to be transitioned or altered, or if not, an entire new infrastructure must be built from scratch to charge all the vehicles people like Volvo are pushing their money into.

And the juice must be green; IEA concludes in order for electric vehicles to attain their full potential to mitigate carbon emissions, critical progress is required to decarbonise electricity generation, to integrate electric vehicles in power systems, to build charging infrastructure and to advance sustainable battery manufacturing and their recycling. 

The UK Grid

There is another crucial element to the EV story for corporates. UK legislators want to push out a smart-orientated UK electricity grid in future. This is complex, but the thrust of the argument is that renewable power like the wind doesn’t always blow regularly.

Sometimes it blows hard, and we have more energy than we need. Other times, not so much. Therefore, we need to balance the electricity we use with what’s available from non-fossil fuel sources at any given moment. There are clever ways of doing this we will explore in more detail in future within these pages.

But for the purposes of this analysis, we just need to know that the new ‘responsive’ grid infrastructure is key. IEA also says global EV fleets are expected to become increasingly significant for power systems, possibly driving increments in peak power generation and transmission capacity.

Smart charging is of crucial importance also; to ensure that EV uptake is not constrained by grid capacity. More than half of EV electricity demand in 2030 will probably come from slow chargers, whose timing can be more easily managed to ensure the smooth operation and security of power systems.

And again, how much of this UK smart infrastructure is ready? Barely any. How many corporates understand this? Few. So, the EV situation is one of chicken and egg.

Which Came First?

Global car manufacturers want us to use EVs in company cars and in haulage. There are compelling reasons for corporates to listen.

But in actual fact, in many countries, the UK included little of the charging infrastructure is ready. And even less is being discussed about how to get benignly produced electricity into these cars, through the use of responsive grids. Haven’t heard of these? You are likely not alone.

Any commercial imperative requires a strong connection between infrastructure, usage, production and sustainability. Electric vehicles can do much good. Somehow, governments and manufacturers plus electricity firms and legacy petrol suppliers must come together, otherwise the bumps in the road will continue.

SEE ALSO: The Role of Robotics in 21st Century Agriculture

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