The UK is set to be grid ready for electric vehicles thanks to a project to monitor what impact EVs will have on electricity networks. Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR), an expert in smart grid projects, is undertaking the project with Charge Your Car, the UK’s largest regional EV network company.
The aim is to monitor the average energy consumption of EV drivers and amass data on where and when drivers charge their electric cars.
This is part of a wider £54 million CLNR project involving 14 000 homes and businesses across the north of England to find ways for consumers to reduce the amount of energy they use.
Collaborating with Charge Your Car means the project has access to a wide community of EV drivers. 150 charging stations will be installed in homes in the northeast of England for customer trials. The aim is to develop a ‘smarter powergrid’ in anticipation of consumer uptake of electric cars.
An average electric car requires 8kW of power to recharge, if UK drivers were to switch to EVs the entire generating capacity of the UK would be consumed by vehicle charging. This project intends to find cost-effective ways to meet these energy demands of the future.
Dr Colin Herron, Director of Charge Your Car said, “we fully understand that the nationwide adoption of EVs will only be possible if these vehicles can be accommodated on the electricity network.”
As electric car sales rise, albeit gradually, having a network that is prepared for the extra demands is crucial to their successful uptake. The UK government has shown its commitment to electric cars as a means to reduce carbon emissions by paying 75% of the costs of installation of charging points in homes.