EV Charging
EVs and carbon: don’t forget the charge point
Viktors Nikolajevs, national account manager EVSE at CTEK, explains the benefits of EV charge points’ lower carbon impact.
E
lectric vehicle drivers choose electric mobility for a variety of reasons – not least the driving experience and the lower running costs. For many, however, climate change and the environment are front of mind when they choose EV. The good news is that choosing a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is a clear carbon win over fossil fuelled Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars. The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) published research last summer showing the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of a BEV is 73% lower than a petrol-only car. A BEV’s life-cycle emissions are even lower – a 78 per cent reduction – if the BEV is powered using only renewable electricity.
Even plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) have 30% less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than a petrol-only car. The ICCT’s analysis included the greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle and battery production and recycling, fuel and electricity production, fuel consumption and maintenance.
But what about the charging equipment? Whilst using electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar boosts the overall carbon advantage of a BEV or PHEV, there is another aspect of driving an EV where there is an environmental cost: the charge points used the replenish the battery.
A key question affecting the carbon impact of a charge point is its longevity. How many years will it be capable of operating before it needs replacing? The answer lies in the charge point’s robustness, its adaptability and its repairability. In other words, is it equipped for not only today’s charging needs but also tomorrow’s? Can it be repaired or updated without becoming redundant? When we were designing our newest chargepoint at CTEK, we thought long and hard about how to make the Chargestorm Connected 3 (CC3) as futureproofed as possible, knowing that to do so would enhance the sustainability of our product and the installations where it is used. We believe all installers and their clients – from homeowners to landlords, destinations to local authorities and chargepoint operators – should have longevity and flexibility in mind when specifying new EV charging.
They should be asking whether what they are going to install has the capabilities needed
not just for today’s charging needs but for the opportunities coming tomorrow. Is the hardware futureproofed for the next wave of EV charging capabilities? Can it handle the software coming down the track?
“A key question affecting the carbon impact of a charge point is its longevity. How many years will it be capable of operating before it needs replacing?”
Installers will want their clients to be confident that their new EV charging installation is going to function as well in three years’ time, or ideally better, as it will the day it is first plugged in. We recommend installers, specifiers and charging hosts ‘buy well and buy once’.
Roadsides and car parks already have too many obsolete and broken chargepoints that are uneconomic to repair or terminally compromised for future use. Each CC3 has a free five year warranty for parts and labour, and the back-up of CTEK’s support to minimise any downtime. Maximising uptime is key; the Helsinki headquartered EV charging platform provider eMabler last year named CTEK the winner of its first Best Hardware Partner Award thanks a charging success rate of 98.6%, according to its own data.
CC3 was designed to have replaceable standardised components such as the contactor, RCD, fuse and socket. Unlike many conventional EV chargepoints that necessitate complete replacement when issues arise, CC3 enables the replacement or upgrading of individual parts. This modular design is in line with the EU’s increasing focus on repairability and reduced electronic waste.
This not only extends the lifespan of the device but also significantly reduces electronic waste and its associated environmental impact. It is a forward-thinking solution that supports sustainability, making it a greener and cost- effective, futureproofed and regulatory aligned choice for eco-conscious consumers and businesses alike.
Having dual outlet models of charge points is also a carbon saving in terms of materials and the energy cost of installation. Put two CC3s back to back on a pole mounting and you have four outlets to charge four EVs but just one installation with less groundwork, less cabling and fewer communication units – saving not just carbon but money too.
When it comes to carbon and the beneficial impact of e-mobility on the environment, from EV manufacture, power and maintenance, though to the charge points plugged into, it all adds up.
10 | electrical wholesalerApril 2026
ewnews.co.uk
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