The Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce (EVET) has made 21 key proposals to government and industry – following an unprecedented collaboration including more than 350 organisations – to effectively manage the integration of EV within the energy system as we transition to electric vehicles.

The EVET was jointly established by energy and transport ministers at the Prime Minister’s Zero Emission Vehicle Summit, in September 2018. The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership was asked to convene and facilitate the work of the Taskforce, chaired by Energy Systems Catapult chief executive Philip New.

The Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce

The proposals set out in this report are the result of the engagement, cooperation and goodwill of hundreds of organisations, spanning:

• Electricity distribution and supply
• Transport sector
• Energy retailers and EV charge point operators
• The auto industry
• Investors
• Local authorities
• Data and tech companies
• Consumer advocacy organisations
• Equipment EV manufacturers & EV battery makers
• Regulators
• Central and local government

Attention has been paid to international developments, prior research and the work of other related task forces.

The Transition to EVs: Key Points

In its formal report to the Government, the EVET sets out a range of proposals to enable the efficient integration of electric vehicles EV with the energy system during the electrification transition.

Three key priorities have emerged:

1. The urgency of developing standards and codes of practice to enable interoperability and the sharing of data within the Electric Vehicle sector and with the electricity system.
2. The need for effective local and national planning and coordination to enable efficient investment, mediating the balance between future-proofing and asset stranding.
3. The criticality of smart EV charging; underpinned by a resilient network and clear market signals, to reduce the cost of supplying millions of EVs.

These three priorities run through the 21 proposals made by the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce under five themes:

• Theme one: Delivering consumer benefits through interoperability
• Theme two: Rewarding consumers for charging smartly
• Theme three: Utilising and protecting data for better consumer outcomes
• Theme four: Winning consumers’ trust and confidence
• Theme five: Developing and maintaining the charging infrastructure consumers need

Underpinning the proposals is a key defining principle: the EV adoption is best served by always aligning with the best outcome for the consumer – typically the electric car driver. The most important question used to test the proposals has always been “is this in the best interest of the EV driver?” Our belief is that if a positive experience cannot be provided to the EV driver, the potential development of this new market and its ability to contribute to our ‘Net Zero’ ambition will be compromised.

This focus on the best customer outcome supports our determination to ensure the electricity system is not a blocker to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles required to achieve ‘Net Zero’. This includes the number of electric cars sold and used. We have also been concerned to boost innovation and participation, taken economic equity and social impact seriously and adopted a whole system view over both the long and the short term.

The Electric Vehicle EV Energy Taskforce, chaired by Energy Systems Catapult chief executive Phil New, is part of the ‘Road to Zero’ strategy announced by the Government. Discover more about the EV Energy Taskforce, including the electrification challenge and specific launch members.

Low Carbon Transport Innovation

Transforming the UK energy system to be clean, secure and affordable requires optimising solutions and innovations from a range of previously separate systems, including transport.

Energy Systems Catapult offers technical expertise and insights on transport from a whole energy system perspective. Discover more about our infrastructure and engineering team and our transport capabilities here.