As the journey towards mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) speeds up, it’s vital that there’s enough clean energy to power this transport revolution. Our Transport Decarbonisation Director, Graeme Cooper, has long championed the adoption of EVs and is confident the grid can support the extra demand for electricity this transition will create. He says: There is definitely enough energy and the grid can cope easily.

“The growth in renewable energy means this is not static and smart metering will make this more efficient. For example, the growth in wind power from the extra offshore wind farms being developed will adequately meet the future demand for electrifying transport – an extra 100 terrawatt hours (TWh) from our current 300 TWh consumed. Preparations have been underway for a while, as we’ve been discussing how best we can work towards the green transport changeover with government, electricity distribution companies, who transport the energy from the grid to homes and businesses, service station operators and charge point providers for over two years." 

We are here to support all solutions, regardless of technology and fuel. We are continuing to promote the need to accelerate technology trials across all transport sectors, in order to provide much needed clarity to stakeholders.

If you are exploring your options for decarbonising your fleet, firstly it’s important to understand your charging / refuelling requirements. You will need to understand: 

• how many vehicles require a connection – this may include an array of vehicles 
• the type of charging / refuelling you require – rapid or slow that can take place overnight 
• where you require charging / refuelling facilities – is this at a depot or could a shared charging solution be used? 

We are uniquely positioned in the energy sector; we work alongside the local distribution network operators and councils and, by having an initial conversation with us, we can come up with the right solution for your needs. You can contact our Decarbonisation of Transport team by emailing [email protected]. 

By the 2030s new petrol and diesel car sales will be banned, so the number of electric vehicles (EVs) will need to grow even faster than today.

However, in our discussions with many people about EVs, there is still work to do to bust some of the many myths out there. So together with Octopus Energy, we asked Arup to look into their whole Life Cycle from before, during and after you get an EV, including what it means for the energy system.

This report, Full Charge – Electric Vehicles and a Decarbonised Future, sets out the facts and the progress that has been and is still being made across costs of running an EV, charging infrastructure and their environmental impact.

The future for EVs is positive and we hope this report helps bust some of those myths for you!

Download the report

You can also check out Top Gear’s interview with our Transport Decarbonisation Director, Graeme Cooper.