Blind spots for policymakers

The main barriers to rapidly electrifying transportation are the costs of vehicles and the charging infrastructure they require. As the transition accelerates, economies of scale and continued innovation will reduce those costs, unlocking investment, boosting sales, and bringing the benefits of clean transportation to more cities and communities.

But there are other challenges as well. One is the lack of a clear business model for deploying public charging and ensuring interoperability among charging services. Others are incompatible payment systems, issues of cybersecurity and data protection, and complicated permitting procedures and regulatory measures. Bringing smart electrification to people living in multi-residential buildings can be especially difficult.

In addition, policy makers may harbour misconceptions or have blind spots that hinder the deployment of sound strategies. These are presented in brief below.

Smart charging does not necessarily mean bidirectional charging (V2G).

Achieving many of the benefits of smart charging – such as peak load reductions – may not require sending electricity back to the grid from vehicles. The implementation of smart charging should thus not be delayed until bidirectional capabilities are included. To accelerate that implementation, it is important to design dedicated smart energy tariffs that reward flexibility and consider EV users as reliable participants in the electricity system. However, whenever possible, barriers to bidirectional charging should be removed because of the additional benefits it can provide.

Development of charging infrastructure should not mimic the petrol filling stations nor focus only on fast charging.

Charging stations should be everywhere. Most charging will happen at night or at work, when vehicles are parked for a long time. Even on-the-go drivers make pauses in their journeys that can be long enough for a full charge at normal power (such as during lunch breaks or when travelling with children). Policy makers must keep in mind that the correct paradigm for EVs is to charge when parked, not to park for charging. However, fast charging stations will be needed for longer trips, when charging at lower power will take too long.

Charging infrastructure should be standardised and interoperable.

The current rush to build charging infrastructure has led to incompatible, competing systems, creating an unfortunate barrier to EV adoption. It is crucial, therefore, to develop technologies and implement standards to ensure that vehicles, charging systems and communication networks are interoperable.

Planning for EV charging infrastructure deployment should be inclusive and reflect the local setting.

In some countries, most drivers live in multi-dwelling units, and most companies are in multitenant buildings. Many do not have off-street parking. Providing convenient and affordable charging in these settings is not only necessary for a fair and just transition, it also avoids a backlash from those who might be left out of charging options. One key policy step, therefore, is “right to plug” regulation, which provides access to convenient and cheap charging.

Mobility trends need to be considered in electrification strategies.

Mobility patterns are constantly changing, such as the recent growth in remote work and the potential shift from EV ownership to “mobility as a service”. Planning strategies thus should be tailored for each specific power system and mobility behaviour trend.

Co-location of EV charging points with solar generation can minimise impact on the grid.

Peak solar generation occurs in the middle of the day – when most passenger vehicles are parked. Workplace charging, combined with solar photovoltaic rooftop arrays and solar canopies over parking lots, should thus be encouraged. Charging directly from solar arrays also decreases the overall EV load on the grid, and off-grid solar charging systems can accelerate the switch to EVs in places with low-capacity grids, avoiding the need for grid expansion.

State agencies should co-ordinate and maintain consistency.

Co-ordination should ensure roles are clear, regulations on vehicles and grid integration are not duplicated, and the vision for EVs is shared and consistent.