The electric vehicle revolution is firmly underway. New car registrations are rising just as quickly as sales of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles are falling.

In March, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 4.6% of the market after a threefold increase in sales to 11,694, while plug-in hybrids grew by 38%.

A new report by Delta Energy & Environment (Delta-EE) predicts that change will be sweeping, resulting in new demands on (and from) the EV customer.

It says that “innovative business models will be developed, and there will be increasing strains on our electricity networks, particularly at peak charging times” and asks: are energy suppliers, grid operators and customers ready?

By 2030, there will be tens of millions of EVs on European roads. Smart charging will be critical in shifting electricity demand - due to vehicle charging - away from peak times of day

Customer propositions are evolving towards the provision of mobility services with electric vehicles, energy tariffs and charging provided in one bundle. Companies that offer simple propositions – with great customer experience - are best placed to succeed, while Vehicle-2-Grid – bi-directional charging – offers huge potential but costs must fall further to generate mass-market appeal.

Meanwhile, new business models are being developed to ease congestion – and capture new value streams – at all levels of the electricity grid, from individual homes, to distribution grids and to the high-voltage transmission network.

Delta-EE brought together influential stakeholders from across the EV spectrum to join a roundtable event to discuss these issues and others as the EV and electricity worlds increasingly intersect.

Read the report 'EV's and the electricity sector: Friends or foes?' roundtable write-up

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