Top gear
Motorists will have a choice of at least nine or 10 fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars by 2012, including: ■ Mitsubishi i-MiEV – to buy now for £28,990 ■ Peugeot iOn – to lease for £415 per month. ■ Nissan Leaf – to buy from March 2011 for £28,350. ■ Chevrolet Volt – to buy from early 2012 at a price not yet set.
■ Tesla Roadster – available to buy now for £87,945. ■ Tata Vista – to buy from early summer 2011 for a price not yet agreed.
■ Citroen CZero – to lease for £415 per month ■ Vauxhall Ampera – to buy from early 2012 at £33,995. ■ smart fortwo electric drive – on lease only. ■ Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid – to buy from early 2012.
a lack of charging points. But now Londoners will see Source London points popping up in locations all over the Capital. By giving increasing numbers of drivers the confi dence in EV technology, we will make a considerable contribution to improving our air quality and cutting carbon emissions.’
Buckle up Introducing charging points on the scale outlined is no easy task and Steve Bratt, ECA Group CEO, comments: ‘For EVs to be truly successful we must fi rst make sure we have the correct infrastructure in place. This means having enough charging points throughout the country, all with a common installation standard, to ensure that they work properly.’ This is something that Coventry-based EVolution
is well aware of. Formed in 2008 as a joint venture between VINCI Energies and EUROVIA, it designs, supplies, installs and maintains EV charging points throughout the UK. EVolution’s EV infrastructure manager, Robert Byrne,
says: ‘This is a relatively new and exciting business area for us, and by combining our in-house electrical technology skills with our civil engineering experience, we are able to advise and coordinate the successful installation of charging points.’
Traffi c jam Although installing charging points may appear simple enough, Byrne argues that this is far from the case. He comments: ‘Although a lot of what we do is based around standard electrical works, a knowledge of the EV industry is crucial in order to advise a client correctly. Also, the various technical skills required can only be gained from experience as there is little or no specifi c training available.’ On-street installations involve dealing with local authorities to make sure that work can be carried out. This can be a long, drawn out process and is not without its share of red tape. Byrne adds: ‘The average works schedule involves at least fi ve weeks of planning. In fact, in February we installed fi ve points in a week but the
38 ECA Today March 2011
Electric vehicles could contribute to a considerable reduction in greenhouse gases
planning work started last November. Then there is the issue of coordinating with the main electricity supplier so that they can do their bit, all of which is a complex logistical exercise.’
Talking point The EV charging point market is rapidly expanding, with new products being introduced all the time. While the basic technology involves a secure post with one socket accessed by an electronic tag, variations on this are now available. The most common public charging points are Elektrobays by Electromotive. They are shoulder-high posts with a plug socket mounted near the top. The bays have a yellow coiled power lead that will supply 240V AC at 13 amps, which is compatible with most EVs. Chargemaster also produces a range of charging posts
including its FastCharge, HomeCharge, CombiCharge and DualCharge products, while APT Technologies has also entered the EV charging market with its Evolt on- street range. Like all charging points, they are designed against potential vandalism and are fully compliant with all electrical security regulations.
About the author
Rob Shepherd Rob Shepherd is a freelance journalist who has worked in the electrical contracting industry for over 10 years, most recently as editor of Electrical Contracting News (ECN).
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