Electric vehicles (EV) could be responsible for as much as 5% of total power demand by 2030, but analysts have expressed concern that the demand could eclipse the capacity of the UK grid.

Current targets call for EV sales to represent 80% of all new car purchases by the end of the decade. If the sales target is achieved, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (NESO) forecasts a significant surge in electricity demand, with cars alone accounting for a 143% rise in annual electricity consumption by 2029. The total increase in demand from EVs could add 17.12TWh to the grid – up from just 7.05TWh in 2025.

But energy analysts at Montel have said “there are concerns” about whether capacity buildout will be adequate by that time.

The UK is building huge amounts of new renewable energy facilities, led by a series of major wind power projects that are ultimately designed to wean the network off fossil fuels entirely.

But a report in December suggested that the grid was not ready for the major...