The number of all electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is forecast to increase exponentially over the coming years, this is something even the most ardent fan of the combustion engine and petrol head would find difficult to dispute. With this, the need for EV charging points will similarly need to grow with some degree of correlation.

The Government has declared a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars to begin in 2035, this is to work towards the overall net-zero target put on the UK of 2050. The BBC clarify the point “When will petrol and diesel cars be banned? The ban is being introduced in 2035 – five years earlier than previously planned. Experts said the original target of 2040 would be too late if the UK wanted to achieve its target of emitting virtually zero carbon by 2050. The ban is also being expanded to hybrid cars and plug-in hybrids, which had not been included under the original proposals. As a result, people will be able to buy only electric or hydrogen cars and vans.”

This may lead many occupiers of business premises to consider installing EV charging points. There are of course many different options and providers. Should you opt for rapid charging points? How will these be supplied? Do you have enough capacity? These are just a few of the questions you will likely ponder.

In order to make an informed decision, it is important to understand what you are trying to achieve; this will very much depend upon the type of premises you occupy and what type of business you operate.

For example, the owner/operator of a retail park/shopping centre will want to attract visitors but will also want them to remain on-site for a while. So a rapid charging point where the user may sit in their car for 15 minutes and then drive off may not be the best option. Similarly, a slow charging point that would mean a space is occupied for hours by the same vehicle would not be suitable.

Occupiers of office buildings may want to provide charging points for staff and visitors, again which type of devices are best? How do you decide who can use them? How do you determine if there is any ‘benefit in kind’ that needs to be considered? How do you stop disruption to work with people moving vehicles around the car park to allow others to use the devices?

These again are all questions that should be considered before any installation takes place.

Currently, demand for charging points in comparison to the traditional petrol station is low, you will rarely see a queue at locations that are available to the public, however, this will change. The Guardian highlighted an interesting point ‘Electric vehicle (EV) sales are accelerating rapidly, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures for September 2019 showing a 236.4% rise year-on-year.’  Whether you are considering installing these devices to attract customers or to benefit employees there are many factors to consider in order to avoid the project becoming a token gesture or something that causes more problems than it solves.

Taking independent advice is key to ensure your installation caters for your current and future demand scenarios as well as providing a system that manages the use of the devices throughout your organisation.

Utility Team can advise on a variety of green energy initiatives, managing the project from start to finish (if required) as well as providing interest-free funding opportunities for energy-efficient equipment or initiatives. In particular, we can help you with any EV charging point project from trickle to rapid chargers and self-owned to leased charging points.

Main image credit: Utility Team