UK GOVERNMENT’S £1.6BN FUNDING: TARGETED FOR RESIDENTIAL ON-STREET AND RAPID PUBLIC CHARGERS
Time to grasp the opportunity for funded public charging in rural villages, and urban towns and cities.
Welcome news for councils, taxi and private hire drivers came on 25 March. The DfT announced a wider strategy to speed up ‘high-quality’ public charging infrastructure. The aim is for 300,000 additional public chargers to be installed by 2030. This is nearly five times the number of fuel pumps available today.
The most appealing thing about the new strategy is the targeted funding of £450 million earmarked for a Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI). A pilot fund for the LEVI scheme is immediately available for councils to bid for a share of an initial £10 million.
The existing On-Street Chargepoint Residential Scheme (OCRS) continues into the 2022 financial year with a further £20m budget.
If the Main Barrier to Commercial EV Ownership is Removed, Are You Ready to Make the Switch? Both schemes are designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to EV ownership for urban high mileage vehicles. i.e. the lack of public charging in our cities. The funding will help accelerate the rollout of EV rapid charging hubs and innovative, residential on-street charging.
The existing £950m Rapid Charging Fund will continue to support the rollout of 6,000 ultra-rapid chargers across our motorways by 2035.
Flexible Charging Options One of the major differences between EVs and ICE vehicles is the ability to charge away from fuel stations. Home charging typically means parking the car in a drive and plugging it in so it’s fully charged and ready to go the next morning. Better still - most of this can be done using low-peak energy tariffs which are typically a quarter of the price of peak rates, and considerably less than fuel.
Energy costs for charging at home are still a fraction of fuel costs despite price escalations. On-street charging solutions are needed for those without private parking, therefore the new strategy and extra funding for both on-street fast charging, and rapid urban hubs is a major landmark. It is especially important for commercial drivers, as it’s estimated over 70% do not have private parking.
On-Street Charging ~ Which is Best for You? • The EV can be plugged into a dedicated curb side charger.
• Lamp posts can also be used for the additional purpose and reducing street clutter.
• Home chargers can be fitted to homes themselves. Charging plug cables are ducted, via various innovative methods across pavements to avoid trip hazards.
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The curb side and lamp post charging options can be more expensive to install than home chargers, with ducting or other methods of connecting the EV. They are also more expensive to charge - averaging around half the price of rapid charge hubs and about four times the cost of domestic low peak rates.
The home option provides the further advantage of access to cheap domestic energy rates and a further 15% saving on VAT. Home energy is taxed on a ‘de minimis’ basis at 5%. Public discharge of energy is charged at 20% VAT.
The last option has several cost and convenience benefits. There are several innovative ways to traverse pavements safely, and I believe a more consistent approach to solutions provision would save even further costs going forward. Though it is always good to have different options available.
The new policy and funding available should answer one of the conundrums facing those involved in transitioning to EVs.
EVs and infrastructure ~ ‘The Chicken and Egg’ of our Time? EVs need suitable charging infrastructure, and infrastructure investment requires the demand from EVs. Strategy problems exist when a value for two groups depends on the progress of the other. So, which comes first? - this is the ‘Chicken and Egg’ question.
It’s a useful metaphor to describe the difficulty of taking the most suitable actions, in the right order. The problem is when each appears to depend on the other happening first. Suitable charging for drivers and the industry should remove any hesitancy to switch to electric successfully. In this case, it should then solve the ‘chicken and egg’ question?
Time for Public and Private Sector to Work together The huge increase in targeted funding for on-street infrastructure, is a key step forward. It levels things up and allows drivers without private parking access to convenient overnight charging. It also provides for ultra-rapid chargers where they’re needed in cities for pit-stops to top up.
This is the time for industry stakeholders, taxi and PH operators, EV consultants, chargepoint installers and vehicle suppliers to work together with local authorities. If you have any questions please get in touch for impartial, expert insight whether you’re a private stakeholder or public body. I look forward to hearing from you.
Article supplied by Tim Scrafton
THE CONNECT CONSULTANCY CONSULT
DESIGN SUPPLY INSTALL
The UK’s leading independent electric vehicle infrastructure consultancy 0161 635 6553
hello@theconnectconsultancy.com
APRIL 2022
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