Electric Vehicles (EVs) are fast becoming part of everyday life. If we aren’t using one ourselves, odds are we know someone who is, or are considering one for our next car purchase.
The growth in utilisation over the past 24 months has been startling – in December 2018 cumulative global sales passed the five million mark – and forecasts suggest that growth will continue at pace over the next decade, with the worldwide EV market worth $122 billion by 2022, and up to 40 million char ging st ations installed by 2030.
But sustaining this rapid growth isn’t without its challenges.
One of the biggest is ensuring that charging infrastructure is installed at a pace that matches EV uptake, and in the most beneficial locations.
Electric Vehicle Charge Point (EVCP) roll-out is not happening fast enough to sustain EV growth at current rates; in some areas we’re now seeing ratios of over 30:1 EVs to public EVCPs.
The EV charging market is forecast to be worth £45bn by 2025, but more needs to be done to ensure the charging infrastructure is in place to enable EV growth to continue.
While destination charging is – understandably – often-preferred for stakeholders and installers, it’s becoming increasingly clear that EV users prefer home charging.
This is where many of the barriers exist.
In the UK, more than 30% of the population live in properties without access to off-street parking.
In the EU the average is +40%, and +60% in Germany and Spain.
This means that to provide all citizens with equal opportunity regarding EVs, on-street charging infrastructure is needed at a mass scale.
One of the biggest barriers to wider on-street roll out is lack of urban intelligence at individual street or property level.
Stakeholders simply do not have the evidence base on which to act, and acquiring that information is expensive and time consuming.
However, by leveraging the power of satellite imagery and Machine Learning, Energeo is helping clients by automatically identifying, measuring and monitoring the assets and infrastructure influencing on-street EVCP implementation.
The use of satellite imagery facilitates rapid city-scale analysis at high granularity and accuracy, providing stakeholders with automated intelligence gathering that reduces initial surveying costs and accelerates the information gathering process. This improved understanding of the urban environment through enhanced asset appreciation enables better, and faster, decision making regarding on-street EVCP roll-out.
Ian Dee is chief executive officer at energy analytics and intelligence company Energeo Ltd.
This article appeared in The Herald on the 14th March as part of The Heralds weekely Climate for Change editorial.
The Herald’s Climate for Change initiative supports efforts being made by the Scottish Government with key organisations and campaign partners. Throughout the year we will provide a forum in The Herald newspaper, online at herald.scotland.com and in Business HQ magazine, covering news and significant developments in this increasingly crucial area.
If you are interested in contributing editorially or interested in becoming a Climate for Change partner, please contact Stephen McTaggart on 0141 302 6137 or email stephen.mctaggart@heraldandtimes.co.uk
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