Britain’s government-owned organisation National Highways has revealed plans to end electric vehicle owners’ range anxiety by installing 6,000 energy storage systems at service stations across the country by 2035.
Energy storage systems will be installed at service stations to deliver a rapid charging infrastructure across England’s motorways and major A-roads (roads that link cities and towns).
National Highways is discussing the £11 million ($14.6 million) plan with prospective suppliers and plans to initially install around 20 energy storage systems within the next two years.
With the growth in EV charging demand comes pressure to provide the power to supply high powered charge points, especially at the furthest reaches of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) where grid power is insufficient.
The ESSs will store energy in quiet periods to provide high-power charging at busy times, or until those motorway services can obtain increased power directly from the grid for rapid charging themselves.
Malcolm Wilkinson, head of energy for National Highways, said: “Whilst we have limited control over the number of petrol and diesel cars on the network, by supporting the expansion of the rapid charge points network, we hope to increase EV drivers’ confidence for all types of journeys, both long and short.”
National Highways has previously invested £12.5 million ($16.6 million) into local authorities to encourage businesses with diesel van fleets to make the switch to electric
National Highways’ Designated Funds programme will invest a total of £936 million ($1.2 billion) between 2020 and 2025.
The plan will put roads at the heart of Britain’s net zero future through three key commitments: achieving net zero for its own operations by 2030; delivering net zero road maintenance and construction by 2040; and supporting net zero carbon travel on our roads by 2050.