In some respects, it is no surprise that the electric-vehicle (EV) sector and the battery storage sector have taken off hand in hand.

As top car manufacturers announce new electric models in their line-ups, innovation and investment in battery storage soars.

The resultant cost decline of battery technology means that analysts such as Bloomberg New Energy Finance predict EVs will be close to cost parity with fossil-fuel cars by 2022.

However, providing the infrastructure for the transition away from internal combustion engines is no simple task.

The UK Department for Transport identifies availability of chargers as the top barrier to EV uptake, closely followed by range anxiety. It is crucial to note that these concerns go much further than bricks, mortar and plugs; they are also psychological. Personal transport is about freedom and confidence. These champions of modern life cannot be impaired by electrification.

To combat range anxiety, access to adequate charging facilities needs to be as easy as, or some argue, easier than filling up at petrol pumps.

Currently many see this as a dedicated charger outside the home, which we believe will be a significant part of the solution. However, a material number of households in the UK have multiple cars per dwelling or do not have off-street parking.

In most cities each street typically has enough copper cables in the ground to support only a few chargers. Similarly, an average business is realistically only able to host five to ten charging points.

Charging points will therefore need to sit boldly near main roads, much in the way petrol pumps do today.

When facing these challenges, one word springs to mind: “flexibility”. In order to fit together the jigsaw of intermittent renewable energy generation, EVs and peak demand, flexibility will be vital.

Where to find it? As is so often the case, one part of the answer is right under our noses: battery storage.

Battery storage also has the potential to help stabilise EV charging prices, riding out peaks and troughs in energy prices by charging the battery when demand is low.

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Stable prices for EV charging will instil confidence in the driver, who will then travel with the peace of mind that price fluctuations will not affect his or her day when it’s time to plug in.

What about vehicle-to-grid (V2G)? V2G is an early-stage technology whereby EVs can communicate with the charger when plugged in, injecting energy from the EV battery onto the grid when it is needed. This technology may be useful to power houses in the event of a power cut, and ultimately may develop into a platform that allows EVs to make money from selling energy during peak price periods.

The future of this technology is as yet unclear but getting a significant number of EVs on the road is the first step to understanding if it can make a meaningful contribution to our energy system. 

Michael Clark is chief technology officer at Pivot Power