• • • EV • • •
What the evolving EV infrastructure landscape means
for the electrical industry By Leon Rooke, EV Business Development Director, Humax EV Charging
mprovements to the UK’s EV charging infrastructure are crucial for the UK government to meet its goal of all new vehicles sold being zero-emissions by 2035. Leon Rooke, EV Business Development Director at Humax EV Charging (
www.humaxcharging.com), examines the challenges and opportunities this presents for the electrical engineering sector. E-mobility service provider Zapmap reports that as of December 2024, the UK has more than 53,000 public EV charging points with a fifth of these being rapid chargers (50kW or more). Despite this, EV owners remain unsatisfied. What Car? magazine revealed that 56 per cent of their readers cited the state of the UK’s charge point network as a reason not to transition to electric vehicles.
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While the Government has set an advisory target of 300,000 public chargers by 2030, in its own 2022 publication Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy it recognised that 700,000 may be required to adequately meet demand. The SMMT goes further, estimating that the actual number needed is closer to 2.3 million.
9 out of 10 EV drivers charge
their vehicle at home Public charging is only a part of the overall picture. Most EV charging takes place at home, with
domestic charge points used by over 90 per cent of EV owners according to a 2022 Department for Transport survey. The ability to charge overnight, taking advantage of off-peak electricity rates, makes this a cost-effective and convenient option and creates business for electrical engineers, needed to ensure safe and efficient installations. Workplace charging is another growth area. The UK government has implemented the Workplace Charging Scheme, with over 20,000 businesses currently enrolled, offering grants of up to £350 per charging socket, creating a significant opportunity for electrical engineers to design and install these systems.
The future of EV charging requires public-private collaboration
At Humax, we expect the charging network to continue developing along these lines, envisaging a future where day-to-day charging needs are principally served by domestic, workplace or other commercial chargers (for example, at retail locations, sports and entertainment venues, or parking facilities). Government can then intervene to ‘fill the gap;’ funding charge point installations on the motorway network, or in rural and remote areas where there is less motivation for the private sector to invest.
The National Grid estimates that the UK grid will need to handle an additional 25-30 per cent load from EVs by 2030, requiring substantial upgrades and energy storage solutions. Solving accessibility challenges presents an additional opportunity, with rural areas having 30 per cent fewer chargers per capita than urban areas according to Zapmap; a gap that needs to be plugged. In each case, there is huge potential for public-private sector partnerships, which present a significant opportunity for larger electrical engineering companies.
Smart technologies will play
an increasingly central role The UK’s National Energy System Operator (NESO) estimates that smart charging solutions could reduce EV-related peak electricity demand by up to 30 per cent, saving £3 billion annually in grid upgrade costs. Growth in energy storage is also significant, with RenewableUK reporting 1.5 GW of battery storage in operation as of 2024 projected to triple by 2030. Both areas offer smaller firms a chance to specialise and thrive.
This rapid evolution of EV charging technologies means that electrical engineers need to develop their skill sets accordingly to keep pace with the market. Various avenues are available, from specialisation in emerging technologies such as high-power domestic and workplace chargers or bidirectional charging points (V2G, V2H), to upskilling in related technologies like solar PV and battery storage.
22 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • APRIL 2025
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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