Electro Beat: Your monthly dose of EV positivity

In the fast-paced world of electric transport and e-mobility, staying up to date with the latest innovations can feel like an overwhelming task.

But fear not, for Octopus Electroverse is here to lead the charge!

Our mission? To keep you plugged into the latest developments in EVs, charging infrastructure, and e-mobility worldwide. Each month, we're rounding up all the exciting highlights from the realm of electric vehicles. So, without further ado, let's dive into the electrifying updates from April!

Lets get plugged in...

The European Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) came into force

On 13 April, the European Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) came into effect and brought with it new requirements for payment options at new charging stations.

What is the AFIR?

AFIR aims to accelerate and standardise the development of charging infrastructure across the EU. The regulation was presented in July 2021 as part of the Green Deal.Why is this a good thing for EV drivers? Well let us tell you!

Charge freely in public

Starting April 13th, 2024 AFIR aims to streamline the charging experience by allowing users to charge their vehicles at publicly accessible charge points without the need for a prior contract. This means that users can simply plug in and pay on the spot, eliminating the hassle of signing up for a charging service beforehand.

The regulation mandates that all new charging points must support ad hoc charging from the outset. Additionally, existing charging points with a capacity of 50 kW or more are required to be retrofitted to support ad hoc charging by 2027. However, it's important to note that the requirement to install a card terminal only applies to newly installed DC charging points with a capacity of 50 kW or more.

Pricing transparency

EV drivers will no longer have to play a guessing game of how much their charge will cost. AFIR tackles this issue head on and ensures drivers have access to accurate pricing before they start a charge. What will this look like? 

In addition to transparency AFIR calls for the standardisation of pricing models. Meaning for any charging stations above 50kW drivers will be charged based on energy, i.e, kWh. For charging stations that fall below 50kW pricing will be shown first in kWh and then per minute. 

Smart charging for all

AFIR has stated that operators of recharging points are to ensure that all public charging points operated by them and built after April 13th 2024, or renovated after October 14th 2024, are capable of smart recharging. 

Smart charging automatically adjusts EV charging rates to maximise efficiency. This approach optimises power distribution, delivering significant savings for grid operators, CPOs, charge point owners, and EV users. By leveraging smart charging, drivers gain greater control over their charging experience while minimising costs by shifting usage to off-peak periods.

This change is expected to make EV charging more convenient and accessible for drivers, encouraging greater adoption of electric vehicles. By simplifying the charging process and removing barriers to entry, AFIR aims to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable transportation system.

China makes history as over 50% of new car sales are electric 

According to data captured between April 1st-14th 2024 China hit a milestone that wasn’t forecast until 2028. This figure is for new energy vehicles (NEV’s) which is a Chinese umbrella term that not only includes EVs but PHEVs and EREVs.

Of the 516,000 vehicles sold in the first two weeks of April NEVs made up 260,000 units. This is an increase of 32% year-over-year, and a 2% increase month-over-month. Taking into account the fact that overall vehicle sales in China dropped 11% compared to last year we can see that ICE sales are struggling. 

Wang Chuanfu, BYD Chairman and President, spoke at the China EV 100 Forum on March 16, 2024. He revised his stance that China could see monthly NEV penetration exceed 50 percent within this year, a figure he stated a month previous, and said that it could now happen within three months. 

"The penetration rate of NEVs crossed 48.2 percent last week, and if it continues at this rate, I estimate that the penetration could cross 50 percent in the next three months"

Battery breakthrough could mean no more range anxiety

The next generation of rechargeable EV batteries have been discovered! Capable of holding more charge than Lithium-Ion batteries, Sodium-State batteries are predicted to double the range of future EVs - meaning even more electric road trips coming your way!

In the recent past, scientists found the mass production of Sodium-State batteries problematic, but now, according to a team from Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan, the process behind the battery has become much more accessible and duplicatable:

This exciting breakthrough will help continue the evolution of the EV landscape; helping reduce range anxiety by improving EV performance, affordability and enhancing sustainability and safety.

What is the Solid-State battery?

Like Lithium-Ion batteries (or any other battery for that matter!), Solid-State takes in energy, stores it, and then transfers it to another device.

“Then what makes it different from the Lithium-Ion battery” you ask. As implied by their name, Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte inside of LI batteries with a solid electrolyte. Solids occupy less space than liquids, making batteries smaller, lighter, and leading to more efficient EVs with greater range!

When will we see this on the market?

Sooner than you might think! Just last year, Toyota and Idemitsu Kosan announced a partnership to develop Solid-State batteries. Their aim? To start mass production of commercially ready Solid-State EV batteries as soon as 2027. So, keep your eyes peeled!

The Global EV Outlook Report 

The IEA Global EV Outlook 2024 was released in April and had plenty of positive EV stats for us to share with you! Here are some interesting points we've extracted and summarised for you:

Public charging

• Global installation of public charging points was up 40% in 2023 (in comparison to 2022) plus, within this percentage, fast charger growth outpaced that of the slower ones - making EV charging quicker and more accessible than ever before!

• With all these fast chargers being used in the daytime, it negates the need for heavy-duty trucks to charge in the evening; reducing the amount of energy production needed at the most intense power operation period of the day.

Electric car sales

• IEA predict that electric car sales will continue to rise, reaching around 17 million by the end of 2024! This would account for more than 1 in 5 cars sold worldwide.

• In the first few months of 2024, electric car sales grew by around 25% compared with the first quarter of 2023.

• In China, by the end of 2024, the market share of electric cars could reach up to 45%. In fact, in 2023 Chinese carmakers produced more than half the electric cars sold worldwide!

• Due to China’s rapid production system, IEA predicted that more than 60% of the electric cars sold in China were already cheaper than their equivalent combustion engine models.

Policy support

• With new policies supporting EVs appearing all over the world, IEA predicts that by 2025 every other car will be electric based!

• Whilst the European Union and the United States are set to have one in five electric cars on the roads by 2030, China supposedly will have one in three!

• If all the national energy and climate targets made by governments are met in full (and on time), two-thirds of all vehicles sold in 2025 could be electric!

Smart charging could save UK drivers up to £1.5 billion a year 

Connected Kerb, a charge point operator, will be deploying a first-of-its-kind public smart charging feature that will unlock savings for EV drivers who don’t have access to home charging. 

Taking advantage of off-peak hours for scheduled charging not only brings about cost savings but also contributes to carbon reduction and alleviates strain on the grid- this has never been done on the public charging network before and will be a welcome initiative by EV drivers. 

Under the new public smart charging initiative, overnight tariffs are set at £0.45 per kWh. Projections by the chargepoint operator suggest that these reduced rates could translate to potential savings of up to £222 per year per driver, amounting to a staggering collective annual total of £1.5 billion by 2030.

There are currently 6,000 chargers operated by Connected Kerb with a further 4,000 set to be deployed this year. Drivers can expect cheaper off-peak charging with Connected Kerb from April 2024 with most charge points activated to be capable of smart charging by 2025. 

Tesla Supercharger network drops prices for members

Those on or considering a Tesla membership got the good news of a price drop in April as the EV brand announced a new pricing structure for its Supercharger network in the UK, following the introduction of a new membership model for its customers.  

Under the new model both Tesla owners and drivers of other EV brands can charge on the network. Effective immediately the monthly membership fee will reduce from £10.99 per month to £8.99 a month. The savings don’t stop with the monthly membership pricing; a new annual membership option was also introduced priced at £90 a year; a 16% discount compared to a monthly membership.

Both options give Supercharger users access to discounted member charging rates. 

“Tesla owners will continue to enjoy a seamless and fully integrated Supercharging experience at lower member rates than non-membership prices, while all EV owners will have more affordable options to choose from.”

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