EV Charging Innovation Showcase: Transitioning the UK to zero emission new cars and vans by 2035
Over 150 delegates came together in Sheffield on Thursday 13th October to celebrate the successes of several government-funded programmes focusing on EV Charging.
The Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Innovation Showcase demonstrated the latest electric vehicle charging products and services with creative new designs and technology for low-cost, scalable charging solutions.
Speaking at the event, Abdul Chowdhury, Head of Vehicle Policy at Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), said: ‘The innovation projects on show today could play a pivotal role in delivering a net zero future, and for all new cars and vans to be zero emission by the year 2035. It’s great to see so many projects here today, with their potential customers of fleet operators and local authorities, discussing how they can collaborate and help to deliver this ambitious transition.’
Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through OZEV and Innovate UK – solutions showcased the latest EV charging technologies, which could address some key barriers to zero emission vehicle uptake.
33 projects showcased innovations in public, on-street and fleet charging including smart charging equipment, EV route optimisation tools and relocatable rapid charging hubs, and energy solutions such as local energy storage and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G).
Investment in research and development is key to the government’s mission of putting the UK at the forefront of the design, manufacture and use of ZEVs. These innovative charging products and services will help deliver the government’s transport decarbonisation goals and anchor economic activity across the UK.
Local authorities and fleet operators from across the UK joined to explore the latest technologies that will support the net-zero transition of cars and vans. With a live exhibition and over 30 pitches there was plenty on offer.
One of the examples on show was Accelogress’s Reserve and Charge project, which aims to tackle EV range anxiety and a lack of charging infrastructure, by providing greater choice and convenience in terms of availability of EV charging stations.
Founder & CEO, Ralf Kernchen, said: ‘The funding has been vital to the project. It’s helped us create the technology and bring our reservation service to charging points in the UK.”
On top of this, there were also updates from OZEV and BEIS on the current EV landscape, including the news that there are already 1 million registered plug-in vehicles in the UK and the Government’s forecast of at least 300k public chargepoints by 2030.
