Getting to the Point: Accelerating EV chargepoint rollout through geospatial data
The Geospatial Commission publishes a report on how location data can help build an electric vehicle chargepoint network that works for everyone, everywhere.
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To build an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint network that can work for everyone, chargepoints must be rolled out where they are needed for today and tomorrow. Location data is key to building the right infrastructure in the right places, giving confidence to current and future EV drivers that they can efficiently reach their destination.
The UK government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. A comprehensive and reliable public EV chargepoint network is critical to greater adoption of EVs. The UK’s charging network must expand rapidly so that it is dependable, fair and covers the entire country.
The report identifies how better use of location data can help overcome four key challenges to siting chargepoints as part of a coherent overall approach to chargepoint infrastructure planning:
- Modelling future demand. Demand modelling can provide planners with data-driven evidence to identify how many and what types of chargepoints need to go where and by when, taking into account local needs.
- Finding suitable sites. Improved access to more granular data about energy capacity and physical constraints can support planners to identify the optimal locations, and avoid wasted effort.
- Creating a seamless consumer experience. Making chargepoint location data more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable will allow the private sector to create a better charging experience for EV owners, while enabling more innovative products and services to develop.
- Tracking rollout. The government needs to ensure it can monitor rollout of chargepoints nationally and regionally by developing spatial metrics that can take account of local needs.
Discovery project to explore what EV chargepoint data is needed by local authorities
In March 2022, the Geospatial Commission launched a discovery project to explore how location data can be better utilised to support planning and delivery of electric vehicle charge points by local authorities. The project, which included workshops with nine local authorities, was undertaken by technical specialists Frazer-Nash Consultancy. Their report is available here.