Saturday, October 12, 2024
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World EV Day celebrates fifth anniversary

The lockdown-inspired World EV Day turns five today (9 September) with a large number of organisations taking part in the event across the transport and energy sectors.

The day, which was conceived by Ade Thomas, has turned from a digital marketing initiative into a global campaign, which is critical for governments, NGOs, EV manufacturers and the charging sectors to promote, educate and engage, especially across social media and online platforms.

Highlighted here are some of the many events and promotions being undertaken, as well as campaigns, on the day:

Compleo offers free charging

EV charge point manufacturer Compleo is offering free EV charging at its UK headquarters in Abingdon. The company said it was proud to support the initiative and was encouraging people to come to Abingdon to charge for free from 9am to 5pm on its state-of-the-art charging stations.

Clare Nicol, Head of Marketing at Compleo UK , said:

“We are excited to participate in World EV Day by providing free charging to the EV community. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with EV drivers, showcase our cutting-edge charging solutions, and give a little something back to EV drivers”

In addition to offering free charging, Compleo will also have experts on-site to answer any questions about EV charging technology, provide demonstrations of our latest products, and discuss the future of emobility.

3M highlights importances of material innovation

ev battery

For World EV Day, materials company 3M has chosen to highlight the importance of innovation in the materials sector.

Steve Hemmings, Automotive Director, Key Accounts & Sales, EMEA, 3M, said:

“As the EV sector matures, material innovation is going to be crucial to accelerating the transition to a more sustainable mobility landscape, while addressing the pain points that are holding back the market today.

From display films and lightweight composites to thermal management and adhesive technologies for improved battery performance, material innovation can contribute to extending range, tackling thermal runaway, and improving power efficiency – all critical drivers for the electric vehicle market.

“We therefore believe that the evolution of materials is a lynchpin in the overall transition towards a more sustainable mobility sector. Only by optimising EV production can we ensure the success of EV transitions globally.” 

In addition, software company Informatica highlighted the critical importance of the supply chain and the “looming challenge” of the new EU battery passport legislation.

Levent Ergin, Global Chief ESG Sustainability Strategist, at Informatica said: 

“The pressure is on globally to boost EV sales. While the production of EVs remained relatively stable this year, manufacturers are facing headwinds from multiple sides. Temporary challenges in the supply chain have impacted output, many consumers remain put off by high prices, and there is still a lack of confidence in public charging infrastructure.  

“That’s not to mention the looming challenge facing manufacturers to comply with the EU’s battery passport legislation, which will introduce new requirements to demonstrate EVs have sustainable battery lifecycles by 2027.  

“While two and a half years may seem like a long time to get their houses in order, there are many reporting milestones along the way. For manufacturers, this is a huge and daunting undertaking. They need to interpret, manage and master huge volumes of data – from mining and refining companies, recycling firms, as well as the producers of batteries – so they can understand all the individual components that come together in the making and use of their EV batteries. Only then can they provide information to future EV owners on the history and health of the battery.” 

RAW Charging offers free charging across destination sites

Drivers will be able to enjoy free EV charging across a variety of amazing places on the RAW Charging network, including Alton Towers and a host of National Trust, McArthurGlen and Greene King sites.

Free charging began at midnight and ends at 23.59pm at all of its destination chargers for the third year running. Charging will be available for all types of EVs.

RAW is taking the move to showcase on World EV Day the importance of destination charging.

Jason Simpson, CEO, RAW Charging, said:

“For a third year in a row, we’re delighted to celebrate World EV Day by giving back to the EV drivers of the UK and thanking our hosts for their ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing emissions.

“Our partnerships with businesses in the leisure, hospitality and retail sectors show the importance of destination charging and we’d like to thank our customers at these Amazing Places by offering free charging on 9 September 2024. We look forward to continuing our rollout of destination charging across the UK and Europe to help aide the transition to EVs.” 

The company will also provide free charging from on-street charging bollards in Oxford.

Councillor Anna Railton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford, said:

“It’s great news that several electric vehicle charging point operators and companies are once again able to offer deals for World EV Day this year. If you are a regular EV driver, you can take advantage of these deals at one of your local charging points. If you’d like to explore car clubs, why not sign up for Co Wheels Car Club and try driving an electric car for the first time?” 

Data shows public charging needs boost

EV charger on road

Key markets in the electric vehicle (EV) transition are falling behind in their stated goals for public charging infrastructure, according to latest figures on World EV Day from MicKinsey highlighted by Konect.

The data reveals that the US, Europe and the UK are more than six times behind the number of plugs needed to meet growing EV demand by 2030. The US, the world’s second-largest EV market, has under 200,000 publicly available charging ports, with over one million more needed by 2030, representing a 550% increase.

Europe needs a 5.5-fold increase to the 630,000 public charge points currently available across the continent to meet European Commission 2030 targets. The UK requires a near 350% increase to scale its charge points from just under 70,000 to 300,000 by the end of the decade.

Om Shankar, Vice President & General Manager, Konect, said:

“At current installation rates, key global EV markets won’t meet the public charging infrastructure needed to meet growing EV demand. We know that most EV drivers currently plug in at home, but there’s a second cohort of buyers, beyond the early adopters, that don’t have the same facilities. 

“As EV technology improves, costs go down and range goes up – more people will make the switch. We must match this progress with the right amount of readily available public charging. We need some logical thinking on the placement of new charge points – ideally, locations that are already familiar and convenient for car drivers. That’s the golden opportunity for the existing fuel retail network.”

“We know that providing an easy and reliable public charging experience is critical to the electric vehicle transition. Konect has the technology and expertise to support fuel retailers and CPOs through the electrification transition by delivering reliable, user-friendly infrastructure for drivers, while boosting ROI and enhancing time to value.” 

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