Excerpt from smart-energy.com
Electric vehicles at COP26, set to escort visiting leaders during the conference, are due to be powered by external combustion generators because of a lack of available charging points, exposing the considerable lack of infrastructure available for the UK’s transition towards a greener transport sector, according to Adam Bond, the CEO of AFC Energy.
At a moment the UK can exhibit its climate credentials to the global community, the country will miss an opportunity to lead by example, says Bond.
The UK is projected to have over 23 million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2032; amounting to the equivalent electricity usage of powering every UK household for two months. However, insufficient investment in appropriate EV infrastructure could lead to power shortages across the grid and continue to exacerbate the UK’s reliance on polluting generators.
However, building additional grid capacity to accommodate the demand for smart charging is a costly solution that will take time. Scaling up more flexible green technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cell systems to power EV chargers, will be key in supplementing constrained grid capacity and maximising the environmental benefits offered by EVs.