Feature: Automotive


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t is not a surprise that electric and hybrid vehicle charging points in the UK are not on a par with their growing numbers on the road; the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) states that the


ratio between charge-points and vehicles- to-charge worsened by 31% over 2020. Last November the government


pledged to install 145,000 charge points across England each year, to 2030. Also, other new legislation will require large organisations such as hospitals and supermarkets to install charging points, starting now. Te obvious question is, though, how


will the electricity for all these chargers be managed? Tere are already reports of EV charging stations being backed up by diesel generators, which surely would be madness in practice. A recent report from Versinetic highlighted some of the most significant shortages and industry conditions threatening the charging infrastructure necessary to support 2030 electric-vehicle targets.


John Cameron for Unsplash


The biggest questions about EV charging in the UK now


By Matthew Lumsden, CEO, Connected Energy 26 April 2022 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


A new way of thinking Where sites are grid-constrained, with electricity connection that isn’t large enough to supply more energy, a battery storage system is the solution. Te National Grid has described battery storage technology as “essential to speeding up the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy; battery storage systems will play an increasingly pivotal role between green energy supplies and responding to electricity demands”. Battery energy storage systems (BESS)


enable energy from renewables (like solar and wind) or the ‘normal’ grid to be stored and then released when power is most needed. BESS can be a cheaper and greener


solution than upgrading networks to overcome grid constraints. Battery-storage units can be made from used EV batteries, giving them a vital second life. At the same time they help solve grid constraints and can supply green energy at EV charging points. Dundee City Council in Scotland,


recently named “Europe’s Most Visionary


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