Wednesday 22 November 2023

An introduction to smart charging

Why do we need smart charging?

EV charging in the UK uses a large amount of electricity. And it’s poised to use even more. As we decarbonise the transport sector, the number of EVs on our roads is predicted to grow at a huge rate. That means the demand for the extra power they need will rise. This could put a strain on our utility providers’ ability to provide the electricity we all need when it‘s needed.

National Grid ESO, the system operator for the electric grid, estimates that up to 37.4 million EVs will be on the UK’s roads by 2050. That’s a massive increase on the number today – currently 850,000 EVs and just over half a million plug-in hybrids.

The challenge we face is not so much a matter of whether we’ll have all the power needed to charge that ever-growing number of EVs. It’s more a matter of making sure we manage when drivers charge them.

That’s where smart charging comes in, find out more.