FAQs
What are the environmental benefits of a business adopting an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solution?
EVs are charged using mains electricity, therefore they emit much less greenhouse gas emissions. The figures suggest a reduction of around 40% compared to a small petrol car (source: nextgreencar.com).
How does introducing an EV charging solution benefit a business’s ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’?
Installing workplace charge points shows leadership in sustainability and demonstrates commitment to curbing emissions. With research showing that environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important to consumers, charging infrastructure is a visible way for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Taking steps to encourage the uptake of EV drivers can also help reduce air pollution in local communities.
How does introducing an EV charging solution benefit a business’s ‘Sustainability’?
The implications of climate change are becoming increasingly clear. Currently, transport is the UK’s most polluting sector, and represents over a third (34%) of its CO2 emissions. Transport is also the main cause of air pollution in cities, which has been described as a public health crisis costing the UK in the region of £6bn per year.
Installing EV charging stations at the workplace is a powerful carbon reduction initiative. Using backend software, a number of metrics can be monitored and tracked, including the number of electric miles powered and carbon dioxide savings. This means progress can be measured against any carbon reduction targets, and the provision of EV charging can become an important part of an organisation’s corporate sustainability strategy.
What are the key statistics which reflect the mass adoption to EV usage in the UK?
As of March 2020, there were circa 32 million cars on the road in the UK, of which approximately just 3% account to that of EVs. It is projected that by 2028, 25% of the cars will be electric. Moving forwards, projections by National Grid suggest that the UK stock of EVs could reach between 2.7 and 10.6 million by 2030, and could rise as high as 36 million by 2040. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has recommended that the market for EVs be 100% by 2035 at the latest to meet the new 2050 net zero target.
What is the ‘Road to Zero Strategy’?
The UK Government set out new measures in 2018 to clean up our roads, and pledged to make almost every car and van zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this ambition, the Government have committed to nearly £1.5 billion between April 2015 and March 2021 to support EV drivers, along with the deployment of charge point infrastructure for both the commercial and residential market.
Are EVs generally more expensive to purchase than ICE vehicles (petrol & diesel)?
At this moment, yes. However, as EVs are being manufactured at a much higher rate, and what with battery prices falling 80% in the last decade, the BNEF expects price parity by the mid-2020’s.
Are EVs cheaper and easier to maintain than ICE vehicles?
Electric cars are significantly cheaper to maintain and service due to the fact there are fewer moving parts and components. As a result, the battery pack and motor needs less maintenance than the equivalent parts in a petrol or diesel car. Savings can be made in the region of 20% in comparison.
On a cost per mile basis, an EV car could cost you a quarter or less to that of a traditional petrol or diesel car.
The majority of electric cars are exempt from the car tax and congestion charges.
What does it cost to charge my car?
This depends on the country you reside in, your cars charging capacity, and the charging station you're using. You can calculate your average charging costs with a simple little formula.
The average electricity fee is about 13p per kWh in the UK. Assuming that your EV has an empty battery with a 60kWh capacity, the total cost to fully charge your vehicle is as follows: 60 kWh x 0.13p = £7.80.
Do I need to pay congestion charges?
Electric vehicles are exempt from the congestion charge in London.
Do I need to pay road tax?
Although EV drivers are still required to register their vehicles, you will not have to pay road tax due to the fact EVs do not emit any exhaust emissions.
Where can I charge my car?
You can charge your car at any public or private parking spot which has a charging station. You will need a charge card that will allow you to roam and charge in public locations such as restaurants, retail malls, hotels etc. Roaming allows charging stations from different providers to communicate and exchange data with one another.
There are various free EV charging points available to the public that are free.
Zap-Map register all new charging points that are installed anywhere across the UK - www.zap-map.com. It is worth noting that the majority of fast and rapid public chargers will require payment.
Can I charge my EV at home?
Yes. Once again, the Government are currently providing grants for home charging installations. You would need to install a wall unit charging point, of which you can just plug in and leave your vehicle to charge overnight.
What distance can a fully charged EV cover?
Most new models have a range of approximately 125 miles, although some can cover close to 300 miles. As technology improves, the range will increase also.
How long does an EV take to fully charge?
This is dependent upon the size of the battery, and the charger you use:
Slow chargers (up to 3Kw). Between 6 to 12 hours.
Fast chargers (7Kw to 22Kw). Between 3 to 4 hours.
Rapid Chargers (43Kw to 50Kw). Between 35 to 45 minutes.
What is ‘Smart Charging’?
EV smart charging is a flexible charging technology proven to stabilize grids, lower costs, and harness green energy.
As a site owner, you need to ensure that your staff and customers can charge their vehicles without any fuss. Smart Charging is a set of intelligent functionalities that ensure you do not face the task of updating your building energy infrastructure which can become very costly. It works by dynamically adjusting the time and speed electric cars charge based on the available existing power capacity - safely balancing charging stations energy usage with other appliances on site. With Smart Charging, not only would you avoid unnecessary costs such as overcapacity fees, but you’ll also get the most out of your charging stations in case of limited power capacity.
What is ‘Load Balancing’?
Load balancing refers to the power distribution across multiple vehicles with an unchanged connectivity capacity. It means that an EV charging facility with a high capacity will distribute available power to all vehicles currently charging; therefore, allowing multiple vehicles to be charged from the same EV charging station. With this system, EVs can always be charged – even if the installation has a limited power capacity.
Our charging stations measure accurate power consumption through built-in power meters. When a station has multiple owners, you can effortlessly keep track of the power consumption of each one, by registering their charge via an RFID chip, or through an app.
What is the difference between ‘Active’, and ‘Passive’ charging?
London Planning laws dictate that new developments must make provisions for EV charging stations; up to 40% of parking allocations must have the infrastructure in place to charge an electric vehicle. This requires a combination of Active, and Passive charge points that accommodates the demand for charging today, and for the future.
‘Active’: An actual socket connected to the electrical supply system that EV owners can plug their vehicle into.
‘Passive’: The network of cables and power supply necessary so that at a future date a socket can be added effortlessly.
What do we mean by ‘future-proofing’ your car parking?
We have made it easy and affordable to invest in modern and forward-looking charging infrastructure. With our state-of-the-art docking stations, you get a completely ‘EV-ready’ charge point at a modest cost (passive charge points). By pre-installing the infrastructure within the building, and upon demand, our charge points can subsequently be deployed with our innovative ‘Plug & Play’ technology (active charge points). The charging robot acts as an intelligent junction box, and it supports the expansion of multiple charging stations on the same cable. This allows you to easily scale-up the system, and future proof your premises.
If there is a problem with our chargers, who do we contact?
Our charging units come with a 3-year on-site warranty; however, the products we install are the most reliable in the market. In the event you need assistance, please do contact our offices during working hours and we would be pleased to help. 01277 354 355 / info@electricspinach.co.uk
What are the tax advantages which come with EV ownership within the workplace?
Benefit-in-Kind (BIK).
Benefit-in-Kind is a tax on employees who receive benefits or perks on top of their salary. If you have a company car that it utilised for the business, but also for private use, you are required to pay a BIK contribution.
For company car drivers and fleet operators choosing an EV from April 2020, there will be zero tax on Benefit-in-Kind. During 2020/2021 the electric car tax on the Benefit-in-Kind rate will increase to 1% in 2021/2022, and 2% in 2022/2023.
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