FairCharge

The cost of charging an electric vehicle - is it too high for those without the ability to charge at home? Consumers saw domestic electricity bills peak after the Russia/Ukraine war, then come down (admittedly they are rising again a little now). But rapid and ultra-rapid EV charging prices - for effectively the same commodity - didn’t fall. Why? Speaking to the industry, there are a number of reasons and this piece of work sets out what these are. It’s perhaps easy to forget that charging networks are today, essentially, building the infrastructure millions more drivers will need in the years to come, and that comes at a cost. But there’s more, including the impact of charges the networks have to pay and the fact there is no price cap like domestic customers have benefited from. Read more and find out what can be done to reduce the cost of charging - including, of course, cutting VAT at public chargers to match the 5% home rate: https://lnkd.in/e-JBQpcz Andy Eastlake Vicky Read Ian Johnston Dora Clarke Euan McTurk Quentin Willson Ben Kilbey

This morning, I’ve been speaking with BBC Radio 4's Today programme about wholesale energy prices and their correlation with EV charging costs, following a new RAC report. I just want to pick up here on a few of the points raised. Substantial investment is being made by InstaVolt, and other charge point operators, to create the sustainable EV charging infrastructure needed for the UK’s growing fleet of EV drivers. Investment that is made without any financial support from the government. We are happy to continue to drive this growth - and indeed will be investing millions more by 2030 – remaining fully committed to supporting drivers and making EV ownership as affordable as possible. This includes tackling the misinformation that continues to circulate around the cost and benefits of making the switch. As the report rightly highlights, wholesale energy prices are just one small piece of a complex puzzle. For example, while those prices may have dropped, in tandem we've seen standing charges increase exponentially in recent years. Against this backdrop, we continue to look for all possible means by which we can reduce costs for drivers, such as through our off-peak tariffs and partnerships with innovators such as Octopus Electroverse, including pushing for a levelling up of VAT to take public charging rates in line with home charging. A saving that we would pass on in full to drivers. Another example is how we will be deploying solar PV and battery technology – such as at our Winchester Superhub opening next spring – further increasing the sustainability of our sites, while also helping reduce expensive grid, standing charges and power costs. We are here for drivers and if we're to support them to make a successful transition then charging needs to be both accessible and affordable. Working closely with industry and government, we’re committed to making that happen. The full interview is available here (from 46:05 in) if anyone would like a listen - https://lnkd.in/exYWrkiB #evs #electricvehicles #electricfleet #evchargers #charginginfrastructure Quentin Willson Ben Kilbey Simon Smith Jo Kerr

Recycling, or "urban mining", is the often overlooked part of the critical minerals self-sufficiency equation. It can't eliminate the need for new mines but it can make a big difference. Recycling is cheaper and greener than producing primary metal and expanding existing recycling capacity means a much shorter permitting process than building new mines. U.S. critical mineral supply-chain planners have taken note. The U.S. Department of Defense is channelling funds to the country's secondary production sector, while the Department of Energy is looking to build from scratch a battery metals recycling chain. US targets scrap to close the critical minerals gap: https://lnkd.in/eqknAxkK

A story from 370 days ago. Then 7 days ago Nissan "calls for urgent action on UK Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate". Read through the article and other manufacturers are quoted, Brexit is in there (remember that?), Rishi's rollback on 2030 to 2035 is added to the brew, an OBR forecast is almost halved, but the brand said it would carry on. Sharing because the debate this week is more complicated than some are making it out to be. Nissan was an EV trailblazer - it launched the Leaf more than a decade ago, has invested millions in marketing, brought another electric car to market. Nissan has not been lazy. Nissan has not failed to try and build EV demand. It's not as simple as this polarised debate. Some manufacturers are late, yep. Some manufacturers haven't advertised (many haven't had EVs to advertise until 2022+, surely that's sensible). And some manufacturers have been trying for years to stimulate this market. Not all have the same reasons for their struggles, but all are behind the transition, and they need to succeed to invest in the cheaper EVs we need for the future. We can either pour scorn on them and lay blame - and do so publicly, feeding the negative media noise - or we can just work together to try and make it happen despite the noise. Choice. https://lnkd.in/eHgWTR_w

Well done to ChargeUK CEO Vicky Read for this slot on BBC News ... Quentin Willson noted: “Ministers should not dilute the UK’s EV ambitions. Long-term Govt policy has made us the second most successful EV market in Europe - an advantage we should strengthen, not weaken. Our ZEV mandate targets are world-leading - don’t let the intense lobbying from legacy auto ruin them.” Ben Nelmes, CEO of EV think tank New AutoMotive: “The UK’s electric car targets are promoting consumer choice and delivering cheaper EVs without expensive taxpayer-funded grants. “The targets are enabling more motorists than ever before to go electric, and discover the benefits of cheaper, cleaner transport as well as a better driving experience. The UK’s world-leading electric car targets are supporting billions of investment in new charge points and electric vehicle manufacturing. “The last UK government made the mistake of relaxing electric car targets, with disruptive consequences for businesses and motorists - the new government should not repeat the mistakes of the past.” Dan Caesar Electric Vehicles UK Fiona Howarth Octopus Electric Vehicles James Court

Why lets facts get in the way of a story, eh? [watch the video clip] With the breaking news today of the planned closure of the Vauxhall Motors Ltd/Stellantis van factory in #Luton - many news pundits are blaming EVs and the UK ZEV mandate - please take a moment and listen to Dr. Andy Palmer CMG, FREng for some #facts which help fight the spread of #FUD (spreading Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt). Well done Andy and Good work Skynewsuk.com Its sad when a business cuts workforce and I feel for those impacted - but trying to attribute this to something beneficial to air quality, efficiency and climate is wrong. Hoping to get some further sense from Paul Kirby with his expertise in commercial vehicles and the transition to clean vans. #stopburningstuff #cleanair #cleantransport #EV #commercialvehicles #ZEVmandate #Policy #climate #emissions #brexit #unions #van #charging #fakenews #journalism #greenergrid Ben Kilbey Lorna McAtear The EV Café FullyCharged.SHOW & Everything Electric

FairCharge partner Electric Vehicles UK responds to stories suggesting potential changes to electric car targets: Focus on Job Creation and Growth Quentin Willson Dan Caesar Fiona Howarth Greg Jackson Ben Nelmes New AutoMotive Dr. Andy Palmer CMG, FREng Melanie Shufflebotham Vicky Read ChargeUK Lorna McAtear Zapmap

Go Team Osprey Charging Network 💪🏻🔋💪🏻 Dora Clarke Ian Johnston Harry Bleasdale Quentin Willson Dan Caesar Electric Vehicles UK

At the Transport + Energy conference and will raise these The AA - Business Services statistics showing 'out of charge' is down to less than 2% of EV breakdowns.

Yesterday, ChargeUK CEO Vicky Read made the case for the ZEV mandate, to the government, on the airwaves and in print.   ChargeUK members are putting a new charge point in the ground every 25 minutes on average and are committed to invest over £6 billion up to 2030.   That progress was acknowledged by government yesterday and everyone agreed that uncertainty is the enemy of the EV transition and threatens investment on all sides.   ChargeUK is looking forward to working closely with government and industry to continue to make the case to retain what we already have – a strong ZEV mandate that works. #ChargeUK #EVcharging #EVs