Regardless of what you might read or hear on the news about fossil fuels and the might of the major global oil companies, this shouldn’t lead you to thinking that electric vehicles (EVs) are a passing fad. EVs are not going away, and we need to prepare ourselves for the changes that will bring in associated electrical testing.
The relevant electricity distribution companies have at least a 10 year plan to satisfy the increasing grid demand for electricity presented by the development of EVs, and will increase the infrastructure to ensure supply is constant and reliable. A big part of this is the huge investment also seen in renewable sources such as Solar PV, Battery Storage, Ground Source and Air Source heat pump incentives. In addition to this the motor industry itself has seen unprecedented investment in EV technology. Every major vehicle brand now has a roster of EVs in its product portfolio, catering for every motoring sector from supermini city cars and family SUVs to high-performance sports cars, executive saloons and vans.
EV sales are increasing in the UK
As a result, a shift in trends is being seen in new car registrations too. In September 2023 17% of new car registrations in the UK were EVs, with 45,323 new EVs on the road in one month alone, while significantly, EV sales overtook diesel vehicle sales for the first time at the end of 2022. Although the Government has relaxed its plan to phase out the production of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030, by adding another five years to the cut-off point, the transition to EVs is inevitable and unstoppable. And anyone who thinks the motor industry would invest so much in developing EVs, and improving battery life, vehicle range and driving performance, to then fall back on the carbon-inefficient internal combustion engine, hasn’t really thought this through.
Hydrogen has been talked about as a possible renewable alternative to EVs, and indeed it is a renewable energy source, but it needs non-renewable sources such as oil, coal and natural gas to separate it from oxygen, so it isn’t a primary renewable source and therefore has a bigger environmental impact than electricity. So all the talk about hydrogen vehicles replacing EVs is literally hot air, because in addition, hydrogen stocks would need distributing much like petrol and diesel is now, using tankers and garage forecourts, plus importantly, hydrogen-propelled vehicles are as inefficient as petrol and diesel ones due to energy losses from the engine friction and heat loss from the combustion. Obviously EVs do not need trucks to transport the electric charge, it arrives directly down the cables to the charging infrastructure that is now taking over the country.
Safe and reliable testing of EVSE with Test Instrument Solutions
And this is where we need to concentrate our attention; making sure the charging network is developed and maintained in line with all other forms of electrical testing. Fast-charging is now available on public streets, in public car parks and on business premises and of course in people’s homes. Known as EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), this charging network needs to be properly installed, tested and maintained in order to ensure user safety and to maintain the condition and integrity of the EVSE and the EV itself. At Test Instrument Solutions we have developed a range of EVSE testing equipment to ensure the reliable and effective testing of EVSE in line with regulatory requirements, so contact our expert sales team today to establish what we can do to satisfy your EVSE testing needs.
This is all because EVs are here to stay and we need to start shifting our focus to managing the huge infrastructure that comes with them. eFIXX, a specialist platform dedicated to electrical contractors, recently summed the current situation up at a recent wholesaler tradeshow seminar, by highlighting how people’s reticence about making the transition to EVs is nothing new, but also how change is inevitable. Over the next ten years, more people will start to realise that charging an EV as and when you need to is a practical and convenient way to enjoy your motoring, and with a safe and reliable charging infrastructure in place, you and your business can be at the forefront of a technological revolution.