In my last blog I outlined the rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the impact they could have on the electricity network. I wrapped up by detailing the next steps the industry needs to take to ensure the safe adoption of EVs: agreeing communications standards; ensuring regulatory support; and devising a customer messaging strategy.
This is where our latest project, Smart EV, is seeking to bridge the gap between innovation and business as usual, it will look to support the creation of a new Engineering Recommendation to standardise managed EV charging, and agree the messaging strategy to help customers understand the need for such a solution to be in place.
With the ability of clustered EV charging to negatively affect electricity networks there's a real need to have more than visibility of where EV charging points are located on our networks. As I revealed in my last blog, we successfully trialled a technology that can manage EV charging during periods of peak demand on the networks, yet there's currently no standard for communicating with EV charging points or managing the charging of the connected EVs. This poses a real risk that in the future there will be a wide range of systems in place, most with their own communications and control protocols. This could make it a logistical nightmare to try and interact with the charge points in an area and protect the networks.
By starting the process of collaborating across the energy and automotive industries and agreeing on a standard, we can look to ensure that interoperability is the backbone of all future charge points. The benefits are far-reaching: more EVs can connect to networks due to the automatic protection afforded by a charge management system; distribution network operators such as ourselves can protect the low voltage networks; transmission network operators such as National Grid can protect the high voltage networks; other third parties can create commercial propositions for customers; and customers can participate in flexibility markets and respond to commercial propositions.
As with any new technologies or processes, there's a real need to bring customers with us on the journey, and with managed EV charging still relatively unknown amongst customers we need to help them see why this type of solution is needed. That's why the project will be agreeing a customer messaging strategy, with guidance from the likes of Citizens Advice helping shape how we look to educate as well as innovate.
Amongst all of the initiatives and working groups that are striving to find the best ways forward, there is a common theme, collaboration. With numerous organisations from various different industries all vying for their customers' voices to be heard, collaboration is vital in achieving the infrastructure required to support the rise in EVs, all without jeopardising customers' ability to receive a secure supply of electricity, whether they are part of the EV world or not.
There's been great support for the project so far, and with cross-industry collaboration key it is fantastic to see all six GB DNOs providing input, as well key members of the automotive industry like LowCVP and SMMT, Government bodies such as Ofgem and OLEV, and customer representative groups like Citizens Advice and the AA.
With this in mind, the project has just opened a consultation on managed EV charging, and is seeking feedback from anyone with a view on the issue. With so many organisations involved in this space there is a wide range of needs we need to accommodate, so I invite you to take the opportunity to shape the future of EV charging here
Next week I'll provide some details about the new EV Working Group, which has been established to advance this cross-industry collaboration, and outline what we expect the future to look like.