EV charging growth: The road to better stakeholder collaboration, project control and risk management
Today, most people are familiar with the growing electric vehicle (EV) market. New charging points spring up around shopping centre carparks and outside homes practically overnight. In 2023, a 45% increase in charging points was reported in the UK. However, it seems there is less awareness of the complexities behind EV charging infrastructure, and how the lack of cohesion and collaboration between key industry stakeholders could put future EV market growth at risk.
EV’s accelerated growth
The future of electric vehicles (EVs) depends on a strong public charging infrastructure. One of the main hurdles to widespread adoption is ‘range anxiety’—the fear that an EV won’t have enough battery power to reach its destination, with limited charging stations along the way. This concern often stops people from choosing an EV, particularly for long-distance travel.
To convince vehicle buyers that there will be enough charging infrastructure to meet demand, it is predicted that around 3.5 million charging points need to be installed across Europe by 2030 according to the European Commission. That means we need to see approximately 410,000 public charging points installed per year, which is almost three times the latest annual installation rate.
Globally, the International Energy Agency forecasts that by 2025 there will be 6.7 million charging stations worldwide. And by 2030, we can expect a significant increase of 145 million EVs on our roads. However, few understand the complex world of EV connections going on behind the scenes, and the challenges that might cause some bumps in the road to worldwide EV adoption.
Alphabet soup
Navigating the complex landscape of stakeholders involved in connecting new EV infrastructure to the grid can feel like decoding a maze of acronyms or “alphabet soup”. There are Charge Point Operators (CPOs), Charge Network Operators (CNOs), Independent Connection Providers (ICPs), Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), and Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNOs). To add to the confusion, CPO can also stand for Charge Point Owners, who are often the investors or financiers behind the project.
Beyond these key players, landowners and local authorities also play critical roles in bringing new Electric Vehicle Charging Points (EVCPs) from concept to installation. Together, this network of stakeholders makes the rollout of new charging infrastructure possible.
Stakeholder map overview
What do they do?
A CPO or CNO builds, instals and maintains EV charging stations. They are responsible for managing the back-end technologies that ensure consistent and reliable charging operations. They serve as the link between the charging infrastructure and e-mobility service providers, which is the consumer-facing element to the charging point. The CPO can dictate the experience for the consumer as a result.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
As CPOs strategically plan and deploy EV charging infrastructure, they play a key role in selecting optimal locations for new chargers based on demand and accessibility. This means they need to collaborate closely with land/property owners to secure suitable sites for the development and deployment of the charging points. They need to apply for land rights and permits.
They also need to submit an application to either the DNO or IDNO before the building work commences to demonstrate the projected electricity demand. The DNO or IDNO will then grant permission or advice to ensure there is capacity within the local energy grid.
What do they do?
They are companies licensed to distribute electricity locally in the UK via towers, cables and meters. They take electricity from the national transmission grid, and then distribute it to industrial, commercial and domestic users. They also maintain and operate the underground cables, overhead lines and substations across the country. Each DNO is responsible for a region of the UK, and some familiar companies may include Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSE), SP Energy Networks, Northern Powergrid, and UK Power Networks.
They don’t supply the electricity, they only connect the infrastructure to the grid.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
When new EV charge points are installed, the DNO will be responsible for connecting them to the local power network.
Developers (CPO or CNO) should engage the DNO early in the planning stage to identify whether their proposed location has adequate capacity to meet the charging demand projected. The DNO can also help identify alternate locations with spare capacity.
The DNO will also provide quotations for new connections and upgrades to existing ones. The scope of this upgrade and reinforcement may include increases in capacity for existing transformers, distribution overhead lines and cables to meet higher peak demand and lower impedance connections.
Early engagement will mean submitting an application to the DNO, and if it is successful, the DNO will issue a permit. Permits that allow the EV charger installation to be built in a specific location. To be successful, the developer or CPO/CNO needs to navigate compliance, safety, environmental, and operational standards, and ensure these are well-documented.
What do they do?
Like DNOs, IDNOs are regulated by Ofgem to own, operate and maintain electricity networks. While DNOs operate in specific regions within the UK, IDNOs operate nationwide.
A key difference between DNOs and IDNOs is that IDNOs will pay developers to adopt the electrical infrastructure powering the EV charge points.
DNOs aren’t able to offer Asset Value Payments (AVPs) to adopt the electricity infrastructure.
Example IDNOs include Eclipse Power Networks, Vattenfall IDNO and Aurora Utilities.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
Similar to DNOs, IDNOs can help to get EV charging points connected to the grid.
They perform work to connect EV charge points to the electricity network, which includes building the network, providing ongoing services, and making sure the network is up to standard to withstand expected electricity demand.
By offering AVPs to adopt, own and maintain the new network of electricity substations, cables and wires serving the EV charge points, IDNOs can help to reduce the cost of installing the electricity infrastructure, helping to make the project viable and more profitable.
IDNOs usually work with third-parties such as consultants, legal experts, and ICPs (mentioned below), to accelerate the design process, meaning regulatory, environmental, and land approvals and streamlined.
What do they do?
They are certified by the National Electricity Registration Scheme (NERS) to design and build all connections in the UK.
They install EV charging units into common areas such as car parks, buildings, petrol station forecourts, existing sites and new sites.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
ICPs are usually employed alongside an IDNO. If an IDNO is appointed to look after the grid connection over a DNO, it is likely that the IDNO will appoint or recommend an ICP to complete the works.
The ICP works closely with the CPOs or CNO, the local distribution network operator (DNO) or IDNO, and the relevant regulatory bodies to ensure the connection is made safely and efficiently.
What do they do?
Electrical contractors or specialist engineers working on EV charger installations ensure safety, quality and compliance with regulations throughout the design, installation and maintenance phase through a technical knowledge and an understanding of local codes and laws.
A successful deployment of a new charging point requires knowledge of electrical systems, wiring, and safety regulations, which is why electrical contractors or engineers are important.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
They are usually appointed by the DNO and or the IDNO in charge of the project. They are required to communicate safety risks or potential delays promptly, they carry out physical, technical work, and it’s crucial that they document progress to all stakeholders.
What do they do?
This CPO finances and oversees the new charging infrastructure project, and they can often dictate branding, objectives, and manage contractors. Their key aim is to see a profitable return on their investment.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
They want to be kept informed of progress or potential issues on the project, and will expect updates from all stakeholders. They will typically set deadlines.
What do they do?
The UK government’s EV Infrastructure Strategy sets out clear expectations local authorities, which includes publishing a long-term strategy to meet the EV charging needs in their local authority or region, considering options to decarbonise vehicle fleets operating in the local area, and awareness-raising activities to ensure residents, businesses and visitors are aware of EV charging infrastructure.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
UK local authorities can apply for grants from the government that will allow them to provide the funding that residents, businesses and not-for-profit organisations need to roll-out more public charging infrastructure. They can also manage their own EV charging point developments.
This means they may at times need to collaborate with the UK government, regulators, DNOs, IDNOs, ICPs, CPOs/CNOs, and contractors.
What do they do?
Landowners can provide sites for EV charging infrastructure and earn income from them.
Usually they offer long-term leases between 20 and 30 years.
What's their role in EV connections? How do they collaborate with other stakeholders?
They can either partner with EV CPOs or fund the infrastructure themselves.
By partnering with CPOs, landowners can grant leases to them, who can then install and operate the charging points on the landowner's property.
Putting the brakes on
As you can see from the map, there are many stakeholders involved in UK EVCP development, and some have overlapping responsibilities depending on various factors; location, budget, complexity of the project, existing business relationships, and so on.
Any breakdown in communication and cohesion between these key stakeholders before and during the project could ‘put the brakes on’ progress. If we’re talking about a mass slowdown across the nation, this could significantly hinder the UK’s transition to electrify our transport.
Imagine a time-critical piece of information wasn’t passed onto another stakeholder resulting in the project falling behind? Perhaps, the land owner approving an application to lease their land didn’t reach the whole stakeholder group resulting in delays.
Another scenario is that the DNO or IDNO fails to approve an application, and instead requests changes to be made to the proposed location, if this isn’t passed on to the CPO and ICP, progress stalls. Valuable days could go by where the project takes an unanticipated emergency stop, racking up fees and downtime of field workers.
Furthermore, a lack of evidence of important permits could be detrimental to the success of the EVCP development. According to a report by Utility Week this year, the rollout of EV charging points is being held up by the negotiation of leasing agreements between networks and landowners for new sites. Any mistakes made submitting applications for the use of land or a failure to log successful applications could result in unnecessary and costly delays.
Taking charge of EV infrastructure
The stakeholders who can embrace collaboration and alignment through innovative new solutions will be able to avoid these common pitfalls in the design and delivery phase of new EVCPs. Integrated development programmes through AI-driven technologies like FYLD for example are critical to the success of worldwide EV adoption, which require seamless, rapid connectivity.
Any project with a high number of stakeholders involved requires real-time visibility, transparency over quality control, and streamlined project management. FYLD offers just that through a centralised platform aligning all stakeholders, informing them of the latest developments such as permits granted, work completed, delays, re-work, and so on. This removes the need for a high volume of frequent meetings with all stakeholders, and eliminates the risk of information getting lost in transit.
And, by leveraging photo and/or video evidencing, it allows for a smoother workflow and improved compliance between stakeholders. It means that stakeholders can provide evidence when a key procedure or step in a process was completed, alerting the group to any missed actions to aid quick resolutions, keeping the project on track and safety standards high.
Furthermore, by removing the need for paper-based forms, the project can progress at pace allowing the experienced experts, whether they are the ICPs, CPOs, IDNOs, land owners or contractors, to focus their time on what matters; accelerating EV growth to decarbonise UK transportation.
