• • • EV • • •


renewables (solar, wind etc) and battery storage alongside running a mixed/hybrid fleet until additional power is readily available to power a full electric fleet. Treating the HV infrastructure as an afterthought can lead to a business not getting enough power to conduct their day-to-day operations.


Load management and resilience are becoming critical as fast and ultra-fast chargers are deployed. What engineering strategies do you see as essential to maintaining reliability while scaling EV infrastructure?


According to Zapmap, by the end of January 2026, the number of public rapid and ultra-rapid chargers had increased to 18,077*, and through our work with businesses across the UK, we are seeing something similar with commercial installations.


As fast and ultra-fast chargers become more commonplace, keeping sites resilient requires a few strategies. These include:


• Focusing on smart load management – controlling how much each charger draws so the whole site does not overload.


• Prioritising critical vehicles – giving key vehicles power first so operations are not disrupted. • Building in resilience – backup paths in the electrical system so a single fault does not shut everything down.


• Keeping power quality stable – making sure chargers do not interfere with other equipment. • Developing a strong, cybersecure charging system – chargers need stable internet, protected from cyber issues, to facilitate payments etc.


In simple terms, the more chargers you install, the more you need smart control, monitoring, and a resilient electrical setup.


EV charging is often presented as a straightforward sustainability win, but what technical factors determine whether an installation genuinely supports a client’s net zero ambitions rather than simply shifting emissions upstream? For a long time, EVs have been seen as the go-to solution for businesses to meet their net zero ambitions. On the face of it, switching diesel and petrol for electric to power vehicles makes a lot of sense, but how much of a net zero contribution they make depends on a number of factors. The first is the source of the electricity and some sites can use renewables such as solar, as well as battery storage, to maximise clean energy use. Other companies can choose green tariffs through their energy suppliers and charge at ‘low carbon’ periods.


Then it is important the charging solution fits the requirements of the business because installing the right amount of infrastructure avoids unnecessary carbon from oversized hardware. Other considerations are how efficient is the charging system itself as good equipment minimises wasted energy. An effective measurement system is also key so that any overuse or wastage is identified so the system can be further optimised.


Done well, EV charging reduces emissions. Done poorly, it can simply move emissions back to the grid.


Looking ahead at the next five to ten years, how do you expect the relationship between EV charging, renewable generation and energy storage to evolve within commercial and industrial sites? In the next five to ten years the key word will be balance when it comes to EV charging. Balance in terms of:


• considering the priorities facing HV infrastructure such as electric vehicles, housing and wider net zero plans, and allocating supply accordingly.


• the approach fleet businesses will need to adopt in the short- to medium-term such as a mixed fleet and hybrid vehicles until capacity improves.


• how businesses distribute available power to maximise their operations – for example, can they make savings elsewhere to support the introduction of EV charging?


In addition, we are likely to see a coordinated approach when it comes to EV chargers, renewable energy and battery storage as well as the scaling of smart energy controls which will automatically choose the cheapest and cleanest time to charge. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) may also become popular for fleets with predictable schedules.


* EV charging statistics 2026 - Zapmap electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • FEBRUARY 2026 25


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