FEATURE ELECTRIC TRANSPORT


Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO of ultra-fast charging pioneer StoreDot, examines the feasibility of government pledges to ban the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles


within the next two decades, and outlines the challenges that must be met in order to turn the current vision of a fully electric future mobility industry into a reality


DRIVING ELECTRIC:


Is mainstream adoption of electric vehicles by 2035 really achievable?


A


s environmental concerns take centre stage, governments around the world are


pledging to prohibit the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by as early as 2025. But while sales of electric vehicles (EVs) have been growing, by 2018 they accounted for just 2% of global car sales. Some countries, however, are progressing much more quickly than others. In fact Norway and China which, backed


with substantial government support in EV infrastructure and financial incentives for drivers, have experienced a boom in electric car usage. In March 2020, it was announced that plug-in vehicles accounted for over 75% of new vehicle sales in Norway. Unfortunately, the EV industry, like the


entire automotive market, now faces a major unprecedented setback. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, with manufacturers having to push back the production of new EV models. Meanwhile, the economic fallout has led to speculation that fewer people will be willing to invest in expensive electric cars. The negatives of petrol/diesel cars on the


environment and our health is hardly a new revelation, but factors such as expense, lack of charging points and range anxiety has deterred a global surge of electric vehicle sales. So how will the EV industry overcome these challenges and ready itself for mainstream adoption of EVs within the next few decades?


able to fast charge EVs safely, while car and battery manufacturers need to work side-by- side to create an efficient ecosystem which supports ultra-fast charging (UFC) technology. EVs are only as efficient and environmentally


friendly as the power grids that supply them, so ensuring these are carbon-free and well equipped to deal with UFC is imperative and requires significant investment – from electricity suppliers, charging infrastructure


“The EV industry now faces an unprecedented setback. The COVID-19 pandemic has bought the world to a standstill, with manufacturers having to push back the production of EV models”


POWER GRIDS AND CHARGING STATIONS The petrol/diesel vehicle is so embedded into our everyday lives that making the shift to electric is no easy transition. Behind the electric vehicle itself, there is a large support system that must be completely upturned in preparation for mass EV usage. Investment and government backing is needed to get the power grid and charging stations up to scratch and


8 AUTUMN 2020 | ENERGY MANAGEMENT


companies and, most importantly, from governments. To maximise the environmental benefits, power grids must make the shift to renewable energy from fossil fuels. France, for example, is leading in nuclear energy, with 90% of its electricity coming from renewable sources. It is certainly not a far-fetched proposition to create more sustainable power grids, especially since the price of renewable energy has


plummeted over the past few years, positioning it as a strong competitor to fossil fuels. Once the power grid is able to supply charging


stations with sufficient power, connecting the grid and the charging stations via a host of energy storage solutions is the next challenge. China has invested millions of dollars into growing its charging infrastructure over the last five years and now dominates the charging industry, with the number of public charging units reaching 1.174 million as of November 2019. While petrol station giants such as BP and Shell are now expanding into EV charging, this is only in the early stages. There are, however, many more questions


that will have to be answered during the transition from petrol to electric. These include: Can electric charging points and petrol pumps operate safely side-by-side? Is it safe to stay in an EV while it is being charged? What is the best way to cool UFC equipment and ensure that the grid is not over-worked?


ACCELERATING INTO ELECTRIC: BATTERIES AND EVS One of the biggest barriers to mainstream


/ ENERGYMANAGEMENT


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