Dunstan Power, director of EV charging consultancy Versinetic, discusses whether the UK is on target to have enough charging stations by 2030.

Dunstan Power, director of EV charging consultancy Versinetic

The world is in the middle of the biggest revolution in the motoring industry, and the UK is at the forefront. Latest vehicle statistics say that the number of EVs registered in the country in 2021 was more than the preceding five years combined.

Elsewhere, Germany recorded 48,436 electric vehicle registrations in December 2021, a 10.9% rise from the figures in December 2020.

With these statistics, it’s evident that the shift to electric vehicles is already with us. The big question we need to answer is whether there will be enough charging infrastructure to accommodate these vehicles by 2030.

Under current plans, the UK will ban sales of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles by 2030 – meaning we should have about 18 million battery electric vehicles (BEV) and hybrids on UK roads by then.

We will then require more charging stations, to the count of 1,176 charge points per 100 km. However, the current growth rate of charge points isn’t enough to reach even a quarter of the required stations by 2030. Based on our new report which explores the Key Barriers to EV Charging Infrastructure Rollout, a quarter is manageable by 2032.

The development of UK charging infrastructure is slow because it faces challenges, ranging from a lack of materials to a dearth of skilled employees. Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in the supply chain network, resulting in the shortage of essential components for making EV chargers.

There is a shortage of technicians in the automotive industry with the necessary skills to maintain or repair EVs and charging systems.

The Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) revealed last year that only 6.5% of the entire automotive industry workforce was ready for the EV transition and just 5% of the workforce in garages is qualified to handle EVs and hybrids. From these statistics, it’s apparent that even if we have a widespread charging infrastructure, we lack enough skilled personnel to produce and maintain the stations and EVs.

Chargers aren’t manned in the same way that petrol stations are, as there’s nobody there to actually monitor them. Drivers will rely on error messages thrown up by the system to alert maintenance teams of any issues, such as, cables incorrectly placed in the holders for the charging points; low-quality holders where charging hoses simply fall out, leaving them vulnerable to breakage or flooding and failing contactors.

Initiatives such as the new skills framework established by the Faraday Institution, the High-Value Manufacturing Catapult, and the University of Warwick, allow players in the utility and transport sectors to recruit new skills, up-skill, and reskill their personnel. Even apprenticeship opportunities are in place to reskill or support those entering the EV industry.

Also, to a great extent, the decline in skills set was exacerbated by the lockdowns of 2020/21. There was an 85% decline in the certificates issued for working on EVs in 2019 – so the number of qualified technicians that have any EV experience should increase as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease.

The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions should, in time, also positively impact the production and availability of components. However, today, we are facing the break of just-in-time purchasing, meaning that manufacturers are buying up 12 months’ worth of stock, therefore adding further pressure in the market.

Elsewhere, the automotive industry will need to collaborate with electric distribution networks and local councils to adapt public streets for electric vehicle charging, and ensure there is space to install chargers without creating too much clutter. We need to safeguard the availability of sustainable energy to all EV drivers, whether they live in an apartment or own a drive.

With regards to energy supply, the UK government expects that most EV charging will happen at home. Therefore, if we install 7kW EV chargers, and if everyone charged their cars at peak times while running standard domestic appliances, this would put a strain on local supply since substations have output limits – another issue to tackle.

A fundamental solution to the problems associated with EV energy demands could be smart charging. The Government’s EV Energy Taskforce recommends that all future EV chargers be ‘smart.’ Smart charging is also known as ‘intelligent charging’ and uses chargers with smart technology which can be programmed to charge EVs off peak for example. This flexible approach to energy use is key to balancing future EV charging demands.

In this article, we’ve explored some variables that need to be addressed to ensuring sufficient EV charging infrastructure by 2030. There are, of course, additional challenges that impact charging infrastructure, including the current lithium-ion shortages and recycling considerations and the issues around the development of universal EV standards.

The UK, amongst many other nations across Europe, is looking to align with the Paris Agreement on car emissions by 2030.  We are definitely behind schedule as far charging infrastructure is concerned.

However, governments appear to be making concerted efforts towards realising the bigger picture. From providing funding specifically for EV charging infrastructure, to incentivising skills development, they are working to ensure there will be sufficient charging stations for the number of EVs expected on our roads in the years ahead.