EV charger installations are increasing exponentially
The uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in all of their forms has really taken off. As many as 6.75 million units were sold globally in 2021, signifying a 108% increase over the sale of EVs in 2020 according to the ‘EV-Volumes’ database (Figure 1) [1].
Fig 1: Global growth in EV sales, with permission, www.EV-volumes.com
The “drivers” accounting for this increase are rather obvious – enhanced environmental awareness, spiraling fuel prices, and CO2-reduction targets set by governments. In the UK, certain laws will come into force in 2022, which will require every newly-built home with associated parking to include a charging point.
At the same time, the proposed ban on the sale of new petrol-only and diesel-only vehicles has been advanced to 2035 from 2040 in several European countries. Public chargers are also being rolled out rapidly with more and more functionalities. For example, in Germany from June 2023, all of the new charging points must have a debit or credit card reader incorporated in them for easier accessibility.
Chargers can, therefore, range in complexity from a simple, slow, domestic single-phase AC source for on-board charging to ultra-fast DC charging at 800V or higher, fed from utility three-phase AC, having multiple processors and interfaces for control of power delivery and safety functionality as well as connectivity via ‘the cloud’ for secure reporting and billing.
Fig 1: Global growth in EV sales, with permission, www.EV-volumes.com
The “drivers” accounting for this increase are rather obvious – enhanced environmental awareness, spiraling fuel prices, and CO2-reduction targets set by governments. In the UK, certain laws will come into force in 2022, which will require every newly-built home with associated parking to include a charging point.
At the same time, the proposed ban on the sale of new petrol-only and diesel-only vehicles has been advanced to 2035 from 2040 in several European countries. Public chargers are also being rolled out rapidly with more and more functionalities. For example, in Germany from June 2023, all of the new charging points must have a debit or credit card reader incorporated in them for easier accessibility.
Chargers can, therefore, range in complexity from a simple, slow, domestic single-phase AC source for on-board charging to ultra-fast DC charging at 800V or higher, fed from utility three-phase AC, having multiple processors and interfaces for control of power delivery and safety functionality as well as connectivity via ‘the cloud’ for secure reporting and billing.