Accelerating EV infrastructure: How FYLD can transform the EV charging landscape

The UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network expansion is lagging, hindered by visibility gaps, delays, and inefficiencies. 

This shortfall comes at a time when electric vehicle adoption is soaring—by June 2024, 1,145,000 fully electric cars and 670,000 plug-in hybrids were on the roads, accounting for 28% of all new car sales.

FYLD is uniquely positioned to overcome these challenges, offering real-time visibility and streamlined project management to fast-track the rollout of this essential infrastructure.

State of play

At the end of July 2024, there were 66,779 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, across 34,570 locations. Despite this 46% annual increase, the previous government’s target of 300,000 by 2030 remains a stretch, with several obstacles including a skills gap driven by an ageing workforce, leading to critical knowledge shortages. 

Additionally, delivery visibility challenges make it difficult to manage the multiple parties involved, complicating communication and coordination at all stages of infrastructure delivery. A lack of real-time data further exacerbates these issues.

Considering the possibility of more ambitious goals from a new Labour government, coupled with the reality that the UK will stop selling fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035, the urgent need for a reliable and widespread charging network becomes crystal clear.

Reliability is paramount

Strict government regulations introduce further challenges to the mix. Reliability is paramount, with a mandate that each charging point is 99% reliable throughout the year, to ensure maximum efficiency and user trust. 

Failure to meet this threshold can lead to large fines, operational disruptions and reputational damage, so continual monitoring and maintenance is key, and inter-sector collaboration critical. 

For Distributed Network Operators (DNOs), ensuring that their operations are aligned with those of their partners - Charging Point Operators (CPOs) and Independent Connection Provider (ICPs) is crucial for the timely and efficient delivery of EV infrastructure. 

FYLD’s platform facilitates this collaboration by providing a unified communication hub where all parties can access real-time updates and share critical project data. This helps DNOs to maintain oversight of the entire project lifecycle, from planning through to energisation, ensuring that all stakeholders are working toward the same objectives and meeting regulatory requirements.

By joining forces with FYLD, DNOs can best serve their CPO and ICP stakeholders, harnessing FYLD’s collaborative platform that ensures alignment on goals and quality standards, so that projects are completed on time and budget.

Right-first-time every time

FYLD’s AI-driven platform provides remote access to on-site activities, allowing stakeholders to monitor progress and address issues promptly. The platform coordinates and simplifies processes such as documenting communication, generating real-time, sharable updates, videos, and job logs that reduce time spent on admin and handovers.

The result? Right-first-time becomes routine. 

Building on these capabilities, FYLD Site Intelligence, launching later this year, will further enhance site management for DNOs by delivering real-time, AI-powered insights that drive efficiency. By transforming videos and images into actionable data, FYLD’s computer vision technology detects over 30 potential hazards, converting them into actionable items that ensure safety and precision.

FYLD Cloud Map View and Cloud Status Focus give a comprehensive overview of project risks, allowing teams to prioritise tasks effectively. Additionally, our RAMS functionality supports the customisation and integration of method statements with AI-powered risk assessments, ensuring safety protocols are consistently followed. This integration reduces delays and guarantees compliance across all stages of EV infrastructure projects.

By leveraging FYLD, DNOs can streamline their operations, reducing the administrative burden on their teams and allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality services to their partners. FYLD’s AI-driven insights ensure that all tasks are completed ‘right first time,’ minimising rework and ensuring that energisation dates are met without delay, ultimately benefiting both the DNOs and their partners.

Ripple effect

The ripple effect of FYLD’s impact is evident. Non-value-adding activities, such as searching for job data or correcting mistakes, are estimated to consume up to 35% of working hours. By streamlining project management and execution, FYLD’s platform significantly boosts efficiency, delivering productivity gains of at least 8%. This shift allows workers to dedicate more time to value-adding tasks, driving better project outcomes. 

Safety is also enhanced through FYLD’s real-time risk identification capabilities. For example, when FYLD SiteVision detects a potential hazard, it’s immediately flagged and converted into an actionable task, ensuring that safety protocols are actively enforced without delay. Additionally, FYLD provides a robust platform for maintaining a comprehensive audit trail, helping teams document compliance activities and ensuring that all actions are properly recorded for future reference.

Costs are kept low thanks to reduced job times and fewer delays. FYLD’s AI generates tailored digital reports that capture compliance, completed work, and critical asset information.

Catalyst for change

The pressing need for expanded EV infrastructure across the UK calls for a unified approach that prioritises quality, sustainability and efficiency, without compromising on safety. FYLD’s ability to turbo-charge infrastructure projects across the globe with efficiency, visibility and safety features, makes it the obvious catalyst for the challenge.

Interested to learn how FYLD can transform your EV charging infrastructure and accelerate delivery? Request a free demo today.