Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/883776
NETWORK / 26 / OCTOBER 2017 The current roll-out of charging infra- structure needs to ramp-up although there is a lack of data on how well demand for charging is currently matched by supply. "In the early days of charging there were some stories in the media about charging posts not being used for a year. I think that is extremely unlikely now. Most public chargers are well used. But as the vehicle population grows, we need to match supply with demand." Vehicle battery capacity is rising rapidly, which will allay range anxiety on the part of drivers in the long-term, Thompson says. "I think range anxiety will be a thing of the past in five years' time." As in many areas, such as the energy system, the pace of change in the auto- motive industry seems to be increasing. Manufacturers are completely replacing models every five years. "The technology that is going into cars has exploded in the last five years," Thompson says, "in terms of sophistication and processing power. I think the OEMs are doing well at keeping up. But the interface between charging system and vehicle will catalyse the sector too, and cre- ate value for the end user." The networks are doing "some great stuff already" in terms of preparing for this brave new world of EVs, says Thompson. "The My Electric Avenue Project was a great start. They have been leading this whole domain and doing a fantastic job." The next step is to gear in the broader supply chain, including the parking sector, the intelligent transport systems sector, and local authorities, and gradually build a much more collegiate, more mature set of relationships between the network opera- tors and other stakeholders, he says. "We need a joined-up team, rather than what we have at the moment, which is network operators working alone. We need a collegiate relationship between network operators and OEMs." ELECTRIC VEHICLES The TSO Thomas Maidonis is a storage and flexibility expert at National Grid. He says the company's overall objective is to balance the system in real time, making use of different resources to do this at the lowest possible cost for the end user. EVs present a mixture of difficulties and op- portunities to the grid, he says. "They are a great opportunity for us; a great resource in terms of decentralised flexibility that can be used in order to help us balance the system. They have the potential to have a huge impact. At the moment 105,000 EVs are on the streets but we will see millions in the coming years. By 2025 and 2030 there will be a huge potential for flexibility provision at a decentralised level." Challenges will include making the best use of this new resource. In an ideal world, the grid would avoid uncontrolled full charging at times of peak demand. This would require new grid infrastructure that would be very costly, Maidonis says. "This is not an optimum use of available resources." There is a need for new infrastructure and technology, not just by National Grid but by many different stakeholders as the majority of vehicles will be connected directly to the distribution network. Some will also be connected to facilities that are linked to the transmission system. "If the grid is to use EVs to provide power at times of peak demand, we must make sure we call on their services correctly and don't create a negative impact on the DSOs where they are connected. Co-ordination between transmission-level services and distribution-level services will be key," Maidonis says. The charging company Natalia Silverstone, senior consultant at Pod Point, a leading EV charging company, has also been contributing to Innovate UK's vision for 2025 for EVs. "In terms of the customer experience, one of the most exciting things for many people is rapid charging. For me, the most exciting thing is on the intelligent, connected charging side. What can a charger do? What kind of data can it gather, and how can it help other industries?" This might include how the connected charger can link with energy retailers and time-of-use tariffs, and how it can help with managing loads on the grid at the DNO/DSO, Silverstone explains. "It is accepted that EVs are going to affect the grid, and that smart or man- aged charging is a necessity. It needs to be managed in a clever way. We need to manage the charge around the consumer. There are many hours in the day to make the charge. We need to figure out how to manage it so the consumer is not affected. As charge point operators, who get a lot of data back from drivers, we see ourselves as well-positioned to understand the driver." When energy aggregators get involved in the EV market, companies such as Pod Point will be well-placed to provide a response service, Silverstone says. "As a charge point operator, we see such innovation as part of what is needed to be responsible, and make this a sustainable industry," she adds.