8 February 2022, source edie newsroom
The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) will likely result in “bottlenecks” across Europe’s electricity grids by 2030 unless governments and electricity network operators incentivise managed charging, new research has concluded.
Flexibility will need to be unlocked to help grids manage extra demands, the report explains
Published today (8 February) by professional services giant EY and electricity industry group Eurelectric, the report explores how the expected surge in EV uptake across Europe will impact grid demands through to 2035.
Between now and 2035, the report states, up to 125 million additional EVs will be added to Europe’s vehicle stock. Within the same timeframe, at least 65 million charging points will be installed, of which nine million will be publicly accessible – up from less than 400,000 at present.
While this will undeniably have a positive impact on tailpipe emissions and on air pollution, it will pose challenges for electricity grids. The report forecasts that EV charging could increase peak load by up to 90% in areas with high EV uptake. Even in the best-case scenario, peak load would be 21% higher in 2035 than today, due to EV charging, and annual electricity demand will have increased by up to 30% year-on-year each year.