This project explores the geography of vehicle electrification, interactions with the electrification of buildings, and the associated infrastructure implications.
Who will buy EVs and where they will be used and recharged is still uncertain. In this project we are using a UK dataset of all cars and vans, covering mileage, use patterns and location to assess the ‘energy budget’ of vehicle fleets in time and space. A spatial assessment of EV uptake, depot and home charging capacity and temporal rhythms of use will be compared to scenarios of uptake for heat pumps and PV generation in domestic and commercial settings. This is a new collaboration with the Energy Infrastructure Transitions theme (theme 4) and complementary work undertaken in the UK CREDS mobility theme.
In case study locations across the UK we are assessing the ‘headroom’ of network capacity, diversity of electrical loads, and the costs of adding more capacity. In particular this will explore interactions between centralised charging (e.g. at workplaces and forecourts), ‘at home’ charging and options for ‘smart’ networks.