The transition to electric vehicles continues to gather pace, with more businesses and individuals across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the North-East considering EVs for their next vehicle or company fleet.
However, while a new electric vehicle can sometimes be ordered relatively quickly, getting the right charging infrastructure in place isn't always as simple as arranging an installation a few days before the vehicle arrives.
At i-Protech, we encourage businesses and homeowners considering an EV charger to speak to an experienced installer as early as possible. In many cases, the installation itself can be relatively straightforward, but there are several factors outside the physical fitting of the charger that can affect how quickly a project can be completed.
Why plan your EV charger installation early?
One of the first things an installer needs to establish is whether the property's existing electrical supply is suitable for the proposed EV charger.
An EV charger represents a significant additional electrical load. Before installation, consideration needs to be given to the existing electrical demand, the incoming supply and the capacity available for charging.
Depending on the property and its existing electrical infrastructure, additional work may be required.
This can include issues such as:
- An upgrade to the property's main supply fuse
- A looped electricity supply that needs to be separated or "unlooped"
- Distribution Network Operator (DNO) involvement
- Electrical supply capacity limitations
- The need for load management
- Additional electrical installation work
- Longer or more complex cable routes
- Groundworks or other associated works
These issues don't necessarily prevent an EV charger from being installed, but they can affect the timescale.
Importantly, some of them involve third parties and therefore aren't entirely within the control of the EV charger installer.
What is a looped electricity supply?
Some properties share part of their incoming electricity supply with a neighbouring property. This is commonly referred to as a looped supply.
Depending on the proposed EV charging installation and the characteristics of the existing supply, the network operator may need to carry out work to separate the supplies.
This is one reason why contacting an installer early can be so valuable.
If a potential supply issue is identified several weeks or months before a new vehicle arrives, there is much more time to investigate and resolve it. Discovering the same issue just before the vehicle is delivered can leave the owner with an EV but without the charging arrangements they expected to have in place.
Businesses should consider the infrastructure before the vehicles arrive
Forward planning becomes even more important for businesses.
A company may initially be considering one or two electric vehicles, but its requirements could look very different in a few years as more of the fleet transitions to electric.
Rather than looking at each charger purely as an individual installation, it can therefore make sense to consider the site's wider electrical infrastructure and potential future charging requirements.
Questions worth considering include:
How many vehicles could eventually require charging?
When will those vehicles normally be on site?
Do they all need to charge at full power simultaneously?
What electrical capacity is currently available?
Could load management help make better use of the existing supply?
Where should chargers be positioned to accommodate future expansion?
Thinking about these questions early can help businesses develop an EV charging solution that meets today's requirements while considering what may be needed tomorrow.
Don't wait until the vehicle is on its way
It's understandable that the charger can sometimes be an afterthought when ordering an electric vehicle.
The vehicle is selected, the order is placed and a delivery date is confirmed. Only then does attention turn to how it will be charged.
A better approach is to consider the charging infrastructure at the same time as the vehicle.
Even if the EV isn't expected for several months, speaking to an installer early allows the electrical supply and proposed installation to be assessed. If additional work or third-party involvement is required, the process can then begin well before the vehicle arrives.
In straightforward cases, it simply provides reassurance that everything is ready.
In more complicated cases, that additional planning time can make a significant difference.
Planning EV charging in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire?
i-Protech provides EV charging solutions for homes and businesses across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the wider North-East of Scotland.
Whether you're considering a single EV charger, workplace charging or planning for the gradual electrification of a company fleet, involving your installer early can help identify potential electrical and infrastructure requirements before they become last-minute problems.
The key message is simple:
If you're thinking about an electric vehicle, start thinking about how you're going to charge it at the same time.
www.i-protech.co.uk
info@i-protech.co.uk
01224 518 418