EV charging infrastructure is not just an Indian problem

Richard Dick, Executive Group Chairman & CEO, Lucy Group

I think the infrastructure for EVs is a worldwide phenomenon and not just an Indian problem. In the UK, the EV base is expanding and some problems are currently showing up, which are likely to be repeated in India depending on how rapidly the EV growth takes place here. Ironically, Jaguar has introduced an EV in the UK that requires 50 kW charging point, similar to a Tesla vehicle.
 
On any scale, such requirements will stretch the electric network considerably, and I am not sure how people are going to respond.

Our job is to measure the flows, monitor them, and provide different types of equipment to reinforce the electric networks. It would be fascinating to see how all these are going to work out in most markets over the coming years.

In the UK, we are working with Western Power, one of the large distribution network operators (DNO), on a project called 'Electric Nation'. This is an important national initiative to examine the impact on the existing network with the arrival of EVs. We are partnering with other companies to anticipate the demands on the network in future. We have another project with one of the DNOs called 'Open LV'. This initiative aims to determine the impact of additional supply coming into the network from the solar rooftop, wind, etc., and anticipate how communities can make better use of the available energies so that you actually have a situation where you start to pool energy, and where consumers use and contribute as required.