Hello everyone.
I'm going to be looking into barriers to Electric vehicle uptake over the next two months.
I found this report from BEAMA very interesting - https://www.beama.org.uk/resourceLibrary/growing-the-supply-chain.html
Without a lot of investment the prospect of Electric Vehicles not being changed, heat pumps not having sufficient power, or renewable generation not connecting are real possibilities, it says.
Rapid growth in local and distribution lines and cables is required. An additional 300,000 km of distribution cable is needed, along with 10% to 30% growth in substation numbers. Demand-side flexibility helps to mitigate this growth.
DNOs will need to invest a huge amount. Perhaps as much as £7bn/year, averaged over the next 15 years, and as much as £15bn/year 8 subsequently.
For domestic technologies (including heat pumps and hybrid systems, resistive heating, heat storage systems, electric vehicle charging, domestic solar power and domestic electricity storage), the required investment between 2020 and 2050 is estimated to total circa £80bn. In contrast, the required investment in electricity distribution infrastructure12 is projected to total circa £330bn11 between 2020 and 2050.
BEAMA says substantial acceleration in investment in the price control period 2028-2033 is necessary. Planning for this period must start now; delivery affects the whole supply chain, from DNOs to component providers, and adequate scaling up of manufacturing and installation may take years, it adds.
BEAMA also notes the skills shortage is a pressing concern, and one which must be addressed to step up supply chain activity.
If anyone is interested in talking to me about this or anything related to EVs, please drop me a line.
Conor McGlone
Investigative Journalist
Engineering & Technology magazine
Tel: 0207 344 5492/ 07725498128
Twitter: @ConorMcG1one