Chris Pritchett is a commercial energy and mobility lawyer, with nearly 20 years of experience in the sector. He’s currently a partner at law firm Shoosmiths, where he focuses on the energy and infrastructure sector – specialising in energy storage, renewable energy, and environmental regulation, just to name a few. We spoke to Chris to find out more about his career, and his views on the wider EV and energy industry.
What inspired you to focus specifically on sustainability within your career?
I was lucky enough to work, early in my legal career, in what was then one of the very few dedicated Environmental Law practices, at Burges Salmon. I was attracted by what I perceived to be a fast-growing and interesting sector, but I soon became swept up in the passion my colleagues and my boss in particular had for the industry. This evolved into working in the renewable energy and clean tech space, and I loved the dynamic nature of the market, and was inspired by clients and friends in these industries that didn’t accept the status quo, and were endlessly creative in finding ways to build something better. I’m privileged that I still feel this way about my job.
Do you currently drive an EV? If so, what model is it, and what do you love most about it?
Much to the amusement of friends and neighbours, we have a pair of visually-identical Gen 2 Nissan Leafs (Leaves?), one of which is a longer-range 62 kWh version. We’re shortly getting a Peugeot E-5008, which will be a big step forwards. The Leaf has been brilliant – big enough for a family of five, utterly reliable, cheap to run and can leave most things for dead at the lights.
Of all the renewable energy projects you’ve worked on throughout your career, which one/s would you say you are most proud of?
That is a tough question – it’s always great to work on first of a kind or genuinely innovative projects, so I’d mention Pivot Power’s Oxford Energy Superhub with transmission connected batteries, a private wire network and rapid charging for Fastned, Tesla and Wenea as a high point. Fast forward, and I’m really proud to be working with UrbanChain, which is disrupting the way energy is bought and sold away from the wholesale market, and democratising the availability of clean power for businesses and domestic customers. It’s just a joy to work with passionate and innovative people, and try to contribute in a small way to their continuing success.
What legislative changes, if any, would you like to see made to the UK’s public charging sector?
I think there is still a cost issue with public rapid charging, despite some downward pressure on prices in the market. Reduction of VAT on public charging would be a good step, and equalise the tax hit with those who are lucky enough to have access to home charging.
I’d also like to see improvements to grid connection availability. This clearly isn’t an easy one as everyone is frustrated with the current logjam, but there are transformative models coming to market which can be enablers for a wide range of energy-users as well as rapid charging, including data centres, vertical farming. The connections reform process should recognise the value of these “enabling” technologies and projects, and allow them to connect in shorter timeframes, opening the doors to much faster deployment of key infrastructure.
Labour’s Autumn budget covered several EV-related points around tax and incentives. Do you believe this budget went far enough for EVs?
I think the retention of the tax incentives around company cars and leasing was very welcome. This has been a very successful policy and driven a substantial amount of the uptake, and I feared that benefit in kind might start to creep back in.
I am very much in favour of strong tax and incentives support for manufacturing and the supply chain around EVs and batteries in the UK, including repairs and recycling. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act has provided a strong bulkhead against what the next 4 years may bring, and as we’ve seen with the likes of Britishvolt, it’s a difficult game and strong central government support will be necessary. The legacy in terms of the wider industry and skilled job creation could and should be massive.
Do you believe the UK is on track to hit its 2050 net zero target? Helping to achieve this, what more would you like to see done to ensure the achievement of the 2030 ban on new pure petrol and diesel models?
That is a leading question, your Honour! Honestly, I think the biggest issue at the moment is misinformation, fear, uncertainly and doubt, which is fuelled by sections of the press and politics and has been hard to counter effectively. I would like to see strong leadership from Government on the messaging around EV adoption. OEMs are finding it tough going on the ZEV mandate, but I would say that the supply side doesn’t need further regulation. The focus should be on stimulating demand and providing confidence to prospective EV drivers.
We thank Chris for taking the time to take part in our EV Leaders series. You can find out more about the work Shoosmiths do, here.
