Driving the shift to electric vehicles

Creating the right energy future at the right price for consumers

Our staff want to develop clean energy that makes people’s lives better. I really love that my work is helping transform the energy sector and that with incentives we can encourage positive results. Creating a sustainable future where we bring everyone on the transition, creating the right energy future at the right price for consumers – I’m very motivated by that.

As part of our Corporate Strategy team, I’ve been leading on how we enable a long-term, sustainable business that both my colleagues and people outside National Grid can recognise and stand behind. Not surprisingly, the clean energy transition, providing fair and affordable energy for consumers, and creating skills for the future are high on the agenda. As an example of the clean energy transition toward Net Zero, I’ve been leading on the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging strategy and set up.

Research shows that once people feel confident there’s a viable network of charging points in place, they’ll be encouraged to make the move to EV cars. We also know consumers would feel more comfortable buying an EV knowing that recharging facilities are not only widely available but also fast. This means that it’s crucial we support how the UK develops its network of transmission-connected, ultra-rapid chargers, especially at key places like motorway services.

Energising our electric vehicles plans

As an authoritative, trusted part of the UK energy system, we interpret technical objectives like this into a pathway of actions that will meet the challenge. While the scale of the move to EV is massive, if businesses see there are financial incentives they will grab those opportunities. We’ve seen global costs of renewables come down significantly – and electric cars too. It’s daunting, but give people opportunities to crack the challenge and change can happen very quickly.