Today, saw a second hugely successful day at the fifth annual EV SUMMIT held at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Many of the world’s most significant global emobility experts across business and local and national governments came together to deliver on decarbonised transport in the UK and beyond for a more sustainable future.
The event is delivered by Green.TV Media in partnership with Oxford City Council and Oxford County Council, and in association with Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University.
This year was an opportunity to celebrate that the EV SUMMIT has led to significant projects coming into being. This includes Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle (EV) hub, Energy Superhub Oxford, located at the Redbridge Park and Ride.
Energy Superb Oxford was born out of meetings at the first EV SUMMIT held in 2018. Along with Oxford’s City and County Councils, Fastned, the European fast charging company, was integral in making this £41 million project happen.
Today’s event also highlighted that there is still much to be done to help accelerate towards a greener cleaner future. There were any reoccurring themes on the best way to transition this, with the highlights listed below.
Key Take Aways From EV SUMMIT Day 2
- Dr Pete Sudbury, Green Party Councillor, Climate Change and Environment at Oxfordshire County Council, pointed out, as did others, that just replacing combustion engine vehicles with EVs is not the answer to our transport problems. We need to shift to active and electric public transport.
- Oxford, home of the EV SUMMIT, is the national leader in EV adoption.
- Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Auto Trader, revealed the website offers vast amounts of purchasing data that offer knowledge and insights into peoples’ choices and buying habits.
- Buying an EV is not always the easy romantic process many hope it will be. It’s harder than most people think and there’s a need to make this journey easier for customers.
- Need to make it easier when it comes to choosing an electric car and make it more affordable.
- It’s important to demystify everything associated with charging and explain any jargon which often scares potential EV drivers.
- Salary sacrifice and monthly leasing are making it easier for many to make the transition to EVs.
- Data can be used to drive charging solutions when it comes to location.
- Collaboration between public and private is essential for the progress of more available charging.
- Charging needs to be convenient, affordable and accessible.
- Need to look beyond just home and on-street charging. We now need to look at dwell spots, where cars are left for any period, such as at work, in car parks, shopping centres and supermarkets.
- Ultimately, consumer needs confidence that charging will be available at all of these places to help drivers make the switch to EVs.
- Rural charging is equally important as urban. In Kent, like many rural areas, drivers are now demanding it.
- Gill Nowell, Head of EV Communications at ElectriX, explained that communicating outside of the ‘EV bubble’ is important. Communication is key and we need to get people in electric cars. Customer experience is always a great way to convert people – like EV Live at Blenheim.
- There’s a need to normalise EVs in the mainstream.
- If you get charging right you’ll get people making the switch.
- There’s the importance of passive charging networks and adding infrastructure now ready for the future. This helps to spread the message while allowing for expansion in the future. Whether it is business or consumer builds, there is a massive need for passive infrastructure.
- Many EVs and chargers are not in use for much of the time. This opens them up to the possibility of sharing and looking at new models compared to regular ownership
- Office for Statistics says that 41% are ready to transition to EVs but it’s important the rest don’t get left behind.
- Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Auto Trader, closed the summit by concluding that we need to be at ease with everything associated with EVs and the need to remove electric anxiety and debunk any myths. Plus, collaborations will be key and underpin the industry, and most importantly, there needs to be an acceleration in all of this for a sustainable future.
