Zemo Partnership’s Andy Eastlake

Fast, slow, rapid, standard, ultra, mega, super – all names used for chargepoints here in the UK, but they’re not consistently applied to common power bands. Bringing in an international dimension, it gets worse; the names used elsewhere often vary even more and have been leaching into UK brochures and websites. Couple this with the folly of just counting chargepoint numbers without any reference to their capability (ie a 350kW charger can theoretically deliver 70 times the energy of a 5kW lamppost one) and we have a recipe for confusion and uncertainty about our recharging infrastructure. So it’s no wonder that the less ‘EV savvy’ can get confused and, consequently, deterred from making the switch to electric.

Of course the excellent Zapmap statistics have become the de facto standard, but the latest regulations don’t fully align with their bandings and even they agree the situation is far less than ideal where words like ’Fast‘ do not help users understand what they should expect or how they should use a charging opportunity.

So, at Zemo we’ve been working in the background to coordinate a common approach. I’m pleased that the community has now agreed a set of power bands by which we group chargepoints (<8kW, 8-49kW, 50149kW and >150kW). But the question of what label we should use for each band and how to describe their use pattern and typical locations, still remain.

One school of thought is to adopt an approach similar to mobile phones. No one really knows what a ‘G’ is or how fast it will be, but we know that 5 is better than 4 (and 2 and 3 are being switched off!). Personally I’m not a fan of this, since as we know home (or standard or slow?) charging below 8kW is actually the bulk of charging done today and is likely to remain so. It’s also the main area where ‘Smart’ or even bidirectional charging will happen. So calling it ’slow‘ might send the wrong message about its usefulness. And is ‘rapid’ better than ‘fast’ or ‘high speed’?

To help develop our thoughts, Zemo has published a survey for newsletter readers to have their say on how to name and describe chargepoint bands. Of course we really need to ask the non-EV driving community what will work for them, since readers of this magazine are likely already very well attuned to the charging questions, but to narrow down our options we’d welcome your views. Of course, as GF readers will also know, charging is more complex than just the power output of a chargepoint, with vehicle capability, charging curves, battery conditions and power-sharing all potentially impacting the activity. But helping drivers choose the right charger for their situation and journey and then delivering on the expectation will help us all make the shift to zero emissions more quickly. With the new bandings hopefully being adopted later this year, Zemo definitely support labelling (and communicating) the chargepoint power capability clearly. But as I’ve said before, words matter and consistency in how we name and describe chargepoints is a crucial first step to helping educate and encourage the next cohort of drivers into EVs. So, please do have your say on chargepoint terminology, to help us work with the wider community on the right names. As George Herbert said, “good words are worth much and cost little”. Zemo

Recharge UK, the EV arm of the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, believes a key issue across the EV industry going forward will be a lack of skilled professionals who are able to install and maintain charging infrastructure or maintain and repair electric vehicles.

As the charging industry is expected to increase chargepoint numbers from over 40,000 charge points today to the Government’s target of 300,000 by 2030, the limited skills pool will be severely under-resourced to manage the rising number of charge point installations and charge point manufacturing. In addition, there will be an increasing workload involved in maintaining charge points once installed. With Tata recently confirming plans to build a new Gigafactory in the UK and providing up to 4,000 direct jobs, RECHARGE UK is urging the UK Government to address the green EV jobs skills gap. This issue was addressed in Recharge UK’s new report, which is the EV arm of the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology), and provides a roadmap of how the industry can accelerate chargepoint deployment to keep up with the growth of EV sales in the UK.

Matthew Adams, transport policy manager at the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) said: “With the announcement that Tata have agreed to invest £4bn in the UK to build a new gigafactory providing up to 4,000 direct jobs, the recommendations in this report need to be implemented as soon as possible. EV infrastructure from chargepoints to gigafactories must be prioritised in grid connection queues to maximise EV availability and adoption, which will realise the greatest carbon savings.

“It is clear therefore, that the Government must launch a green jobs campaign that provides opportunities for new entrants to the job market and empowers the existing workforce to upskill and retrain for the significant opportunities that are available to them, especially given announcements like Tata’s. RECHARGE UK will be producing a skills report in November which will provide more details on how to harness the existing skilled workforce and young talent who want green jobs across the electric and low carbon fuels sectors.

“By 2030 there is expected to be a shortfall of 25,100 EVtrained TechSafe technicians. The Government should reform the Apprenticeship Levy so that a portion of unspent Levy funds could go toward priority training areas, including electrification, decarbonisation and digitalisation.”

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Readers of Green Fleet probably don’t need this pointing out to them but feedback from AFP members is suggesting that electric vehicle (EV) charging is replacing maintenance as the most onerous day-to-day managerial task facing them. In terms of maximising operational efficiency and minimising costs, it’s simply taking up huge amounts of time.

Over the last few years, maintenance has been the most prominent everyday issue facing fleet managers. The fleet car and van parcs have been ageing at a rapid pace while workshop capacity has been stretched and parts availability has been patchy. However, we now seem to be in a position where charging is taking over as the most problematic area. It’s not an exaggeration to say that charging is becoming the new maintenance in terms of the significant amount of attention it demands. The issues being encountered are wide ranging and often there are no easy answers, with temporary solutions being employed. However, the biggest are seen by businesses operating EVs where drivers have no home or depot charging. This means they are relying on the public infrastructure which, in its current state, presents a whole series of difficulties that fleet managers and their drivers are working to resolve every day.

Homeware retailer Dunelm has invested in ten new bioCNG fuelled delivery vehicles, as well as an electric truck to support store deliveries.

More than 50 per cent of Dunelm’s own operations (Scope 1) carbon emissions are attributable to the Home Delivery Network (HDN) fleet. The new vehicles will help reduce this, as they are powered by compressed natural gas (bio-CNG), which is a renewable energy source derived from the decomposition of food and animal waste.

The nine new vehicles that run on bio-CNG will emit approximately 85 per cent fewer emissions when compared to traditional fossil fuel diesel alternatives and have the added bonus of being up to 50 per cent quieter, meaning noise pollution is reduced as well.

With the transition to BIO-CNG, these vehicles will now emit a much reduced 314 tCO2. The introduction of the vehicles is a landmark moment for Dunelm and marks a significant step towards the retailer’s goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 (against a 2019 baseline).

Additionally, Dunelm has secured a lease on an electric

Volvo tractor unit, one of only a few in the UK. This electric vehicle will be stationed at the Stoke 2 Distribution Center and used for store deliveries. It will be charged at the centre using renewable electricity.

After the investment in the cleaner vehicles and by transitioning to bio-CNG, Dunelm estimates it will save approximately 1780 tCO2 - an 85 per cent reduction in emissions compared to diesel. Furthermore, the 44-tonne fleet’s carbon emissions will be significantly reduced to a projected 314 tCO2.

Christina Downend, head of climate change for Dunelm said: “At Dunelm, we are committed to implementing new sustainable initiatives and reducing our environmental impact. This investment in lowcarbon vehicles showcases our dedication to providing less impactful and more responsible transportation solutions for our Home Delivery Network and provides a significant step towards reducing our own operations carbon emissions by 50 per cent.”

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The first of these is simply accessibility. That means finding chargers where they are needed, hopefully not having to queue and ensuring that the bays are large enough to take electric vans. Ticking these three boxes on a day-to-day basis is proving demanding. Of course, there is also a desire to reduce the cost of charging which can be prohibitive, especially on motorways, but that is the fourth factor on the list for most fleets. The important thing is to keep EVs moving.

There is a strong argument that the difficulties being encountered are very much a product of this moment in time, when the charging infrastructure is not yet up to the demands being placed on it. However, the situation is likely to persist for several years to come and we don’t necessarily see things getting much easier for fleets and their drivers in the medium term.

Where EV users have their own charging, life for fleet managers tends to be easier but even that brings its own issues. For example, reimbursement is proving an issue, especially with the Advisory Electric Rate remaining too low for the majority of EVs and the actual cost alternative being quite difficult to calculate. Technical solutions are emerging for the latter but obviously have not yet been approved by everyone and many businesses are having to find their own, fairer solutions.

There is also the question of who should pay for installation of home chargers. Some organisations are paying for the charger up front and then deducting the cost over a number of months from employee pay, others are making a contribution towards the cost, and a number are funding the whole amount – with the latter especially happening for vans. At this year’s AFP conference, credible figures were quoted showing that the cost can be recouped by employers in a matter of a few months through the savings in charging costs and likewise, the employee will benefit from reduced running costs for private mileage..

As you’d expect, the AFP is actively working to support its members through these difficulties, sharing everything from best practice ideas to temporary solutions, and working on an updated version of our postcode charging map, details about which should be unveiled soon. It is very much an area that shows the practical value of being part of our organisation.

The Association of Fleet Professionals is the fleet industry’s professional membership body. It supports, educates and trains the corporate fleet industry, and is the collective voice of national fleet operators, bringing together people involved in the sector to promote collaboration and share best practice.

www.theafp.co.uk