TECHNOLOGY
So we have to make the most of what we can: find the sites which have access to power, which we can mix with other solutions. If we can get renewable generation nearby, if we can get storage, if we can control how the hub and the energy centre interface with the grid so that it gives them confidence we will not overload it – these are all things we are working towards. From an infrastructure perspective, if there is a message, it is that we are moving towards balancing through more energy hubs rather than just single chargers. Charging is a key part of it, but it is another form of energy being delivered where it is needed at the right price. We have not really touched on that: the right price is a key issue.
Q. THE UK’ S RENEWABLE ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS GROWING ALL THE TIME. AS THOSE PROJECTS ARE DEVELOPED, IS IT BECOMING A LOT CHEAPER TO CHARGE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE? CAN WE BUILD A HUB OR CHARGING SITE BEFORE LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY IS ESTABLISHED, OR DO YOU NEED THAT PRE‐EXISTING CONNECTION?
» The truth is we are building ahead of the curve. In the UK, unlike some other countries, we tend to have the infrastructure in place before demand has caught up, with the confidence that it is going to catch up. That EV uptake curve has not happened in the way everyone thought it would. Any transition takes a long time – there are about 1.2 billion existing cars globally, and switching them all will take time. So that timing piece – which comes first – is tricky.
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