Feature: Electric Vehicles
The road to an EV future
By David Hall, Vice President of Power Systems UK & Ireland, Schneider Electric
T
he move to electric vehicles (EVs) is a critical step in our journey to reducing carbon emissions and achieving our Net Zero target by 2050, and we are seeing progress.
Figures show that one in fi ve new cars now
sold in the UK is an electric vehicle, and we expect to see new records being set in terms of sales this year. Whist some EV charging will take place at
owners’ homes using domestic electricity, it’s critical that our national charging facilities are prepared for the continued march forward of this EV revolution. As demand for EVs continues to grow, so too must the network of public and private EV charging stations across the UK, catering for EVs drivers out on the road. What we need is a new strategy for
managing electricity, one that gives outside low-voltage assemblies across the UK top priority.
The critical role of outdoor low- voltage assemblies in EV charging Managing and safeguarding power sources for EV chargers is essential and depends largely on low-voltage components.
18 March 2025
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
Outdoor low-voltage assemblies provide signifi cant benefi ts over conventional indoor confi gurations because the majority of EV charging hubs will likely be in open areas. Because they don’t require additional enclosures, they signifi cantly reduce the amount of area needed. T is frequently enables them to be placed considerably nearer to the chargers, increasing convenience and effi ciency. Additionally, because the assembly is
delivered as a single, usable item, installation is signifi cantly quicker. T is frequently results in lower upfront and ongoing expenses. T e length and size of cable runs can be greatly reduced by placing outdoor assembly closer to the point of load. As well as this, shorter cable runs result in less energy loss, which lowers operating expenses even more. Nevertheless, compared to low-voltage
assemblies, the charging application for EVs is far more demanding. T is may cause certain special diffi culties.
Overcoming key challenges T e fact that conventional electrical systems aren't designed to handle all circuits operating at maximum capacity simultaneously presents a signifi cant challenge to EV charging stations.
T is is especially crucial during periods of high demand, like summer months. Using higher-rated components that can withstand high temperatures and continuous loads is crucial to overcoming this and guaranteeing that the system is safe, even under extreme demand. Ensuring proper earth leakage protection
is another important challenge. As mandated by safety regulations, the majority of EV chargers need a residual current device (RCD) to prevent electric shocks. Tiny direct currents (DC) produced by EV chargers have the potential to disrupt conventional RCDs. Use of Type B RCDs, which are made especially to manage these tiny DC currents and off er dependable user protection, can solve this. Moreover, safeguarding against electrical
malfunctions is essential, particularly in the event of problems with the power supply, like a damaged protected neutral (PEN) conductor. T ese fl aws create a risk of equipment damage and electric shock. Systems that identify these issues and automatically isolate the impacted area of the network can prevent this effi ciently. To ensure complete safety, several products on the market are made to interrupt the power supply in the event of such malfunctions. An additional problem is condensation
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