Workingman wrote:* My bold. So in 3-5 years we are going to have to jump from 42948 connectors today to..... that's some building programme. Do the maths.**
Ofgem has given the green light for energy network companies to invest in more than 200 low-carbon projects across the country over the next two years, including the installation of 1,800 new ultra-rapid car charge points for motorway service stations and a further 1,750 charge points in towns and cities.
The spending initiative, which will add 65p to customer bills for the next two years
65p. Really? What can I get for a tenner a year over 2 years. Let me see. That's 153 times the spend to get these chargers. So 276,923 ultra fast chargers (150kw or higher) and 269,230 charge points for towns and cities.
I wonder what we'd get for a tenner until 2035?
Well some analysis has been done till 2028.
Electric vehicle charging system market in Europe is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 44.77% during the years 2021-2028.
This includes the UK. But what does that mean in numbers? Compound is great. Our 42,948 becomes 551,417.
Now let us also work out that all those petrol stations are going to see their customers decline after 2035 as there will be no new fossil burners to suck up all their fuel. So they are going to have to change their mode of working too. 2.6m vehicles a year which they won't be able to fuel unless they do something about it. No incentive there then....
Companies who provide fuel stations today will be pushing into power infrastructure in car parks, either paid for or no paid, shopping etc. Shops are already rolling out charge points. If you lose the charge point race your customers are going to go to another supermarket where they can get their car topped up whilst they shop. The next willy whanging for supermarkets is going to be the size of their charging network. Want to charge once a week, come to Asda/Lidl/Tesco/Morrisons, where you can get a 50kw charger and your car will be fully topped up by the time you have finished shopping and loaded the car up and put the trolley back.
I know it is hard to understand but the world is going to CHANGE and it is going to change habits and attitudes. Just like the Internet did. After all, supermarkets put in fuel stations out of town to suck the shoppers in and reduce one of the trips they have to make. If you think they're going to miss the opportunity to grab customers by ensuring that they can have their car topped up and ready to go, think again. Now add to that the fact that you won't do your shopping and be sat in a the baking sun with your ice cream melting, trying to fill up before you go home. Or, consider, having to do that wait before you can even get in the shop.
Nope, you'll come back to your nice cool, airconned car, which has been running the aircon whilst it charged, put your precious ice cream in the nice cool car and drive right home. Attitudes and expectations are going to change and, as always, it will be the younger generations who lead the way.
You know how this works WM. You have seen it over and over again in the IT world. Now it is happening to the infrastructure world.
It is why Tesla is pushing to get media streaming on their 17" flat screens they have in the vehicles. You can't use it whilst driving, but it gives you something to do for the 20 minutes your vehicle is tied up to the charging station. Go get a coffee, watch some youtube or a TV show, or part of one, then head home, vehicle full of "fuel".