Business Info - issue 147

01732 759725 magazine 21 SUSTAINABILITY Leading vehicle charging brand CTEK, which is partnering with EVC to roll out 100,000 charging points across the UK, is predicting a significant growth in electric vehicle (EV) charging at destinations like offices and other workplaces, as sustainable transport goes full circle. As more motorists switch to EVs, the availability of reliable chargers at destinations is paramount. EV drivers expect to be able to refuel at destinations in the same way that, in the days of the horse and carriage, people would ‘refuel’ (feed, water and rest) their horses while they were working or visiting a client, before setting off again, refreshed. The trend towards destination charging is highlighted by a YouGov/ CTEK survey undertaken earlier this year, which shows that while 68% of UK EV drivers still prefer to charge at home, 37% now use public or destination chargers, 12% charge at work and 9% at petrol stations. Cecilia Routledge, CTEK Global Head of E-Mobility, said: “With previous estimates of up to 90% of EV charging taking place at home, this is a fairly significant shift.We can expect destination charging to really come to the fore as business picks up and people start returning to the workplace. “The installation of reliable EV chargers is becoming increasingly important to companies and business owners looking to meet the needs of their staff and clients, who will be New EV charging app Danish tech startup Monta has brought its EV charging app to the UK to help address the national shortage of charge points. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders estimates that in order to reach the Committee on Climate Change’s target of 1,170 charge points per 100km of road by 2030 (up from 570 per 100km in 2019), more than 700 EV charge points per day will need to be installed in the next 9 years, far more than the current rate of 42 per day. Monta aims to accelerate this roll-out through an app that enables EV owners to find a charge point near them and charge point owners to make money by sharing their charge point with fellow EV drivers. The platform gives companies and organisations with charge points a fully fledged solution to attract users and seamlessly manage charge point usage, pricing, access and transactions. Monta CEO Casper Rasmussen said: “The UK is ready to go electric, but it simply doesn’t have the infrastructure to support itself. Our mission is to change that.” Originally developed as a peer-to-peer app, Monta has since been extended to connect business owners, site managers and private homeowners with charging point installers in a community committed to expanding the UK’s network of charging points. “We quickly realised that solving the problem in the long-term takes collaborative help from private businesses, EV owners and charge point manufacturers. Our app simply brings them all together in one community so that we can tackle this issue head-on,” said Rasmussen. Since its launch in February, Monta has attracted more than 6,000 active users, a figure it aims to increase to 400,000 users by 2022. https://monta.app/ Back to the future reassured to know they can park up and recharge their vehicles on site before returning home or embarking on another journey. The provision of EV charging facilities will also help companies meet their sustainability targets, supporting a cleaner, greener future for us all.” CTEK says that that for destination charging, where drivers are parked up for several hours or overnight, expensive rapid charge DC (direct current) chargers are rarely needed, pointing out that AC (alternating current) chargers that deliver charge at varying speeds are normally more than adequate. For property owners looking for a cost-effective way of installing or expanding an EV charging network, CTEK offers a dual socket Chargestorm Connected 2 AC charger that enables two vehicles to plug in and charge at the same time. This can halve the number of physical units that need to be installed. It can also considerably reduce costs, not least because dual socket chargers also qualify for two Government Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) grants. The £350WCS grants are available ‘per socket’ and not ‘per charger’, so you’ll get £700 back for every Chargestorm Connected 2 charger installed, up to a maximum of £14,000 for a network of 20 dual socket chargers. These chargers can be wall or pole- mounted, inside or out.With CTEK’s 4-socket ‘back to back’ solution, two dual socket chargers can be attached to a single pole. “People used to arrive at their destination on a charger, now they expect to plug into one,” said Routledge. “With the Government set to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, the future of sustainable transport lies with rechargeable vehicles. At CTEK, we are committed to supporting the road to zero through the provision of thoroughbred EV chargers that will make sure we can keep moving with the times. It worked then, and it works now – it’s just a different kind of horsepower!” www.ctek.com CTEK explains how sustainable transport is going full circle with destination EV charging