Around 20 energy storage systems (ESSs) are to be deployed at service stations where the grid supply isn’t enough for rapid charging infrastructure, the government has said.
National Highways is to make an £11 million investment into ESSs, with the intention of alleviating range anxiety through the provision of more rapid chargers.
Motorway Charging (Image: T. Larkum)
The ESSs will store energy in quiet periods, and then provide rapid high-power charging at busy times until the motorway services can obtain increased power directly from the grid for rapid charging themselves.
National Highways is currently discussing the move with prospective suppliers, and plans to install the energy storage systems within the next two years.
“Whilst we have limited control over the number of petrol and diesel cars on the network, by supporting the expansion of the rapid charge points network, we hope to increase EV drivers’ confidence for all types of journeys, both long and short,” Malcolm Wilkinson, head of energy for National Highways, said.
Boris Johnson to announce plans at CBI conference, telling business leaders the UK is at a pivotal moment
Boris Johnson will seek to boost the UK’s clean energy credentials after a tricky UN climate crisis conference by announcing that all new buildings in England will be required to install electric vehicle charge points from next year.
Electric cars charging in Milton Keynes (Image: T. Larkum)
In a speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in the north-east of England on Monday, the prime minister will reveal plans, briefed as “world-leading”, to toughen up regulations for new homes and buildings.
From next year developers on sites such as supermarkets and office blocks will be required to install electric vehicle charging points, in an attempt to help phase out the use of petrol and diesel cars before sales of them come to an end in 2030. The government expects the move to lead to 145,000 new charging points each year.
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Fleets and company car drivers will benefit from competition on pricing for electric vehicle charging at motorway services after exclusive agreements were ruled out as part of Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation.
Gridserve, which acquired the Electric Highway from Ecotricity in June, has offered legally-binding assurances, known as commitments, to the CMA.
It says that it will not enforce exclusive rights in contracts with Extra, MOTO or Roadchef, after 2026, which currently cover around two-thirds of motorway service stations.
In doing so, Gridserve has committed to reducing the length of the exclusive rights in the current contracts with MOTO by around two years and Roadchef by around four years (the contract with the third operator, Extra, is due to end in 2026).
An extra stop at Sedgemoor (Image: T. Larkum)
Furthermore it says it will not enforce exclusive rights at any Extra, MOTO or Roadchef sites that have been granted funding under the UK government’s Rapid Charging Fund (RCF).
This means that, where funding has been granted, competitor charge point operators will be able to install charge points regardless of the exclusive element of the Electric Highway’s contracts.
Each of the motorway service station operators – Extra, MOTO and Roadchef – and Gridserve have also offered commitments not to take any action that would undermine the above commitments.
Andrea Coscelli, CMA chief executive, said: “One of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting people to switch to electric cars is the fear that they won’t be able to travel from A to B without running out of charge.
“Millions of people make a pitstop for fuel at motorway service stations every day, so it’s crucial that people can trust that electric charge points will do the same job.
“Healthy competition is key to ensuring that drivers have a greater choice of charge points where they need them, and for a fair price.”
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A new design to make electric vehicle (EV) charge-points “instantly recognisable” has been revealed.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the design “could become as iconic as the Great British postbox or black cab”.
Consultancy firm PA Consulting, which created the design in partnership with the Royal College of Art, said it has “an instantly recognisable circular handle”, while its materials, size and black colour “help it to blend into the UK’s diverse surroundings, whilst remaining visible for EV drivers”.
Mr Shapps described its unveiling at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow as “a crucial step”.
New UK charge points (Image: Department for Transport)
He said it will “raise awareness of the electric vehicle programme (and) help millions more drivers make the switch to cleaner and greener cars”.
The UK is “on track to become a global leader in zero-emission motoring,” he added.
The Department for Transport, which commissioned the project, said it will “provide greater choice to industry and local government, as well as raise awareness and generate excitement around electric vehicles”.
A series of announcements on low carbon transport are being made on “transport day” at Cop26.
The Government has said new heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) sold in the UK will need to be zero emissions by 2040.
The phase-out will begin with a requirement for new trucks of 26 tonnes and under being net zero by 2035.
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Char.gy is leading the first wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging trial to be open to the general public in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
Nine additional trials across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes are to take place, with the trials a collaborative effort between Buckinghamshire Council, Milton Keynes Council, the London Borough of Redbridge, the University of Warwick, the Open University, IPT Technology and hiyacar.
The trial has seen 10 Renault Zoes with aftermarket induction charging kits provided by hiyacar, with members of the public able to book the cars through the hiyacar platform for £1 per hour or £5 per day, plus insurance.
The improved Renault Zoe has a longer range and posher interior (Image: Renault)
Char.gy’s wireless charging technology has been installed into a dedicated parking spot in Liston Road Car Park, allowing EVs to charge via an electrical induction charging pad installed in the ground.
The trial – which has secured funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and Innovate UK – is to last 12 months.
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It’s Time to Go Green!
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Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has constructed a new dual-fuel station with eight dedicated 150kW electric vehicle (EV) charging bays.
This is alongside eight traditional petrol pumps, with the former petrol station on the site located on the A3 in Putney, south west London, having been demolished.
MFG has also developed 1,500 sq ft of retail space, with the site containing Costa Coffee, Budgens and an Amazon drop box and home delivery location.
Milton Keynes ‘Mushrooms’ Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)
“This is an important site for us as we see Putney as the industry-leading blueprint for the future of UK forecourts to achieve a practical transition from fossil fuels to electrically powered vehicles,” said William Bannister, CEO, MFG.
The development is part of MFG’s £400 million EV investment plans, with around £40 million committed for EV charging hubs in 2021.
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It’s reported that the number of advert views for new and used electric models increased a record 28% and 61% respectively versus the previous weekend, but it saw an increase in the number of people sending enquiries to retailers, with one sent every two minutes.
This, it said, suggests that people have been encouraged to actively pursue a purchase. Accordingly, it expects retailers with electric stock to do particularly well this week.
Ian Plummer, commercial director, Auto Trader, said: “This weekend four out of five of the top performing new cars on Auto Trader were electric, with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 coming out top, followed by the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The launch of these ‘cool’ and aspirational models have been key to shifting the consumer perception of electric. This has been accelerated further by the significant increase in advertising among manufacturers, which is helping to drive awareness and dispel lingering myths.
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Nearly 2,700 Electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints have been added across London, the east and south east in the past twelve months, UK Power Networks (UKPN) has said.
As a result, there are now over 9,000 chargepoints in London, the east and south east, with a total of 40% of all chargepoints in Great Britain being connected to UKPN’s local grids. This is almost double the volume of any other network operator.
Additionally, UKPN is estimating there will be 4.5 million EVs in the areas it serves by 2030. As it stands, there are around 594,000 EVs in the UK, with an estimated 154,000 in the areas served by UK Power Networks.
Ubitricity Electric Avenue project lamppost charging (Image: Siemens)
However, Shira Lappin, innovation project lead at UK Power Networks, said there’s still “a lot of work to do ” to meet the growing demand for EVs and chargepoints, and that it is important UKPN works with local and central government, chargepoint operators, customers and other stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition.
The company pointed to how a single 50kW rapid charger uses the same amount of power as a block of 25 flats, meaning that the more EVs sold, and the more chargers installed, the greater the need to create smart solutions on the electricity network.
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Milton Keynes Council has secured the largest grant offered to date from the Office for Zero Emissions (OZEV).
The council worked with Connected Kerb and Ringway on the proposal, with 250 chargepoints now to be installed on residential roads in older areas of Milton Keynes where there are fewer off-street parking options but where electric vehicle ownership is on the rise.
Currently, around 40% of homes in Milton Keynes don’t have access to off-street charging facilities.
Charging with an Ohme smart charging cable
“Encouraging drivers to make the switch to electric is a vital part of our carbon neutral future,” said cabinet member for Climate Action and Sustainability, Jenny Wilson-Marklew.
“It needs to be made as easy as possible and we look forward to working with all of our partners to begin this ground-breaking project.”
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Sellers of plug-in vehicles say petrol shortages are driving people to adopt the new technology
As petrol stations in parts of the UK started running out of fuel on Friday, business at Martin Miller’s electric car dealership in Guildford, Surrey, started soaring.
After what ended up being his company EV Experts busiest day ever, interest does not appear to be dying down. This week the diary is booked up with test drives and the business is low on stock.
“People buy electric cars for environmental reasons, for cost-saving reasons and because the technology’s great,” he said. “But Friday was one of those moments where people said, ‘Do you know what, this is a sign that we need to go electric’.”
While scenes of chaos play out at petrol stations across the country amid shortages, for many electric vehicle (EV) dealers the fuel crisis has led to an unexpected surge in inquiries and sales.
EVA England, a non-profit representing new and prospective EV drivers, reports a rise in electric car inquiries and in interest at EV dealers, particularly in the last week.
POD Point Rollout at Tesco Stores (Image: Tesco/POD Point)
“Saturday was bonkers but Friday even surpassed that, it was very strange,” said Miller, who founded his company four years ago. “I’ve now got trade-in cars with no petrol to move them.”
Along with existing factors such as the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone, the fuel crisis has proved to be another trigger point, he said. “People were using it as ‘this is the moment where I’m not going to put this off any longer’.”
The EV market is no longer the preserve of innovators and early adopters, he said, with the most popular models the Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen ID 3 and Jaguar I-Pace.
Ben Strzalko, the owner of Electric Cars UK in Leyland, Lancashire, said that as a small business it would take a few months to feel the knock-on effect of the fuel crisis on sales.
But every time there are problems with petrol or diesel, he said they acted as “one more tick for people making that transition to electric cars”.
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