ABERDEEN ELECTRIC VEHICLE
FRAMEWORK 2020 TO 2030 Evidence Base & Baseline Report
JULY 2020
CONTACTS
KERI STEWART Associate Technical Director
m +44 (0)7557 549307 Arcadis. e [email protected] 180 West George Street Glasgow G2 2NR United Kingdom
Arcadis (UK) Limited is a private limited company registered in England registration number: 1093549. Registered office, Arcadis House, 34 York Way, London, N1 9AB. Part of the Arcadis Group of Companies along with other entities in the UK. Regulated by RICS.
Copyright © 2018 Arcadis. All rights reserved. arcadis.com
VERSION CONTROL
Version Date Author Checker Approver Changes
1 07.05.20 FW/AS KS SS
Updated in response to comments 2 03.06.20 FW/AS KS SS from ACC
Updated in response to comments 3 21.07.20 FW/AS KS SS from ACC
Updated in response to comments 4 09/8/20 FW/AS KS SS from ACC
This report dated 09 August 2020 has been prepared for Aberdeen City Council (the “Client”) in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment dated 27 November 2019(the “Appointment”) between the Client and Arcadis (UK) Limited (“Arcadis”) for the purposes specified in the Appointment. For avoidance of doubt, no other person(s) may use or rely upon this report or its contents, and Arcadis accepts no responsibility for any such use or reliance thereon by any other third party.
CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ...... 8
1 INTRODUCTION ...... 11 1.1 Background ...... 11 1.2 Purpose of the EV Framework ...... 11 1.3 Scope ...... 12 1.4 Environmental Context ...... 12 1.5 Report Structure ...... 13
2 POLICY AND BEST PRACTICE ...... 14 2.1 Policy Context ...... 14 2.1.1 UK Policy, Legislation and Relevant Initiatives ...... 14 2.1.2 Scottish Policy, Legislation, Strategy and Relevant Initiatives ...... 15 2.1.3 European Policies and Legislation ...... 20 2.2 Best Practice Examples ...... 21 2.2.1 European Local Authorities ...... 21 2.2.2 English Local Authorities ...... 22 2.2.3 Scottish Local Authorities ...... 22 2.2.4 Gap Analysis ...... 23
3 TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW ...... 24 3.1 Vehicles ...... 24 3.1.1 Vehicle Availability ...... 24 3.1.2 EV Roadmap ...... 24 3.2 Infrastructure ...... 25 3.2.1 EV Recharging ...... 25 3.2.2 EV Infrastructure Roadmap ...... 26 3.2.3 Novel Charging Solutions ...... 26
4 METHODOLOGY ...... 31 4.1 Baselining ...... 31 4.2 Scenario Development ...... 31 4.3 Infrastructure Demand and Site Identification ...... 32 4.4 Residential On-Street Charging ...... 34
5 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ...... 36 5.1 Introduction ...... 36 5.2 Stakeholder Questionnaire ...... 36 5.2.1 Themes ...... 37 5.3 Public Survey ...... 42 5.3.1 Summary ...... 42 5.4 Conclusion ...... 42
6 BASELINE OF VEHICLES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ...... 44 6.1 Vehicles Registered in the Region ...... 44 6.1.1 Aberdeen City...... 44 6.1.2 Aberdeenshire ...... 46 6.1.3 Comparison ...... 47 6.1.4 EV Uptake ...... 48 6.2 Emissions ...... 50 6.2.1 Aberdeen City...... 50 6.2.2 Aberdeenshire ...... 51 6.2.3 Analysis and Comparison ...... 52 6.3 Infrastructure ...... 52 6.3.1 Mapping and Provision Analysis ...... 53 6.3.2 Chargepoint Utilisation Analysis...... 56 6.4 Charging Infrastructure Commitments ...... 60
7 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE EV FRAMEWORK ...... 61 7.2 Aim ...... 61 7.3 Objectives ...... 61
8 VEHICLE AND EMISSIONS FORECASTING ...... 62 8.1 Composition of Vehicles in the Region ...... 62 8.2 Local Authority Area ...... 62 8.2.1 Aberdeen City...... 62 8.2.2 Aberdeenshire ...... 63 8.3 Emissions ...... 64 8.3.1 Aberdeen City...... 64 8.3.2 Aberdeenshire ...... 65
9 INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS: RESIDENTS, VISITORS, COMMUTERS &
TRANSIT ...... 67 9.1 EV Charging for Residents ...... 67 9.2 EV Charging for Tourists ...... 69 9.3 EV Charging Infrastructure for Commuters ...... 70 9.4 EV Charging for Through Traffic ...... 71
10 INFRASTRUCTURE LOCATIONS ...... 73 10.1 Off-Street Charging ...... 73 10.2 On-Street Charging ...... 77
11 CHARGEPOINT PROCUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT ...... 80 11.1 National Technical Standards ...... 80 11.2 Exceeding of National Standards ...... 80 11.3 EV Charging Bays ...... 80 11.4 Further Work ...... 80
12 NETWORK OPERATING MODELS ...... 82 12.1 Introduction ...... 82 12.2 Network Operating Model Overview ...... 82 12.2.1 Plymouth City Council Case Study ...... 83 12.3 Fees and Tariffs ...... 84
13 TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES ...... 87 13.1 Number and Type of Licensed Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles ...... 87 13.2 Vehicle Age and Emissions Policy ...... 89 13.3 Taxi and Private Hire Licensing – Best Practice ...... 89 13.4 Chargepoint Infrastructure ...... 94
14 FREIGHT AND DELIVERY VEHICLES ...... 96 14.1 Vehicles and Emissions ...... 96 14.2 Suggestions to Facilitate ULEV Uptake ...... 96 14.2.1 Infrastructure ...... 96 14.2.2 Fleet Support and Engagement ...... 97 14.2.3 Engagement with Freight Operators ...... 97 14.2.4 Signposting and Awareness Raising ...... 97 14.2.5 Certification ...... 98
14.2.6 Encourage use of Biodiesel ...... 98 14.2.7 Retrofit ...... 98 14.2.8 Trials and Demonstrations ...... 98 14.2.9 Further Work ...... 99 14.3 Case Study: LoCITY ...... 99
15 COMPLEMENTARY MEASURES ...... 100 15.1 Measures and Incentives ...... 100 15.1.1 Local Development Plan Guidance ...... 100 15.1.2 Guidance for existing developments ...... 100 15.1.3 Demand Management Tools ...... 100 15.1.4 Public Engagement ...... 101 15.1.5 Business Engagement ...... 101 15.1.6 Fleet Reviews ...... 101 15.1.7 Leading by Example: ACC’s fleet ...... 102 15.1.8 Incentivisation via Procurement ...... 102 15.1.9 Free Parking ...... 102 15.1.10 Car Clubs ...... 102 15.1.11 Co-Location of Facilities ...... 103 15.1.12 Emissions-based Parking Charges ...... 103 15.1.13 Educational Programmes with Schools ...... 103 15.1.14 Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Storage ...... 104 15.1.15 Grants and Financial Incentives ...... 104 15.1.16 Vehicle Scrappage ...... 104 15.1.17 Stimulating the Used EV Market ...... 105 15.1.18 Zero Emission Zones ...... 105 15.1.19 Bus Lane Access for ULEVs ...... 105 15.2 Case Studies ...... 106 15.2.1 Chargepoint Infrastructure: Dundee City Council ...... 106 15.2.2 Workplace Parking Levy: Nottingham City Council...... 106 15.2.3 Public Engagement: Go Ultra Low ...... 106 15.2.4 Business Engagement and Fleet Reviews: Nottingham City Council ...... 106
16 SYNERGIES WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES ...... 108 16.1 Introduction ...... 108
16.2 Chargepoints and tariffs ...... 108 16.3 Car park permits ...... 108 16.4 Regeneration and New Developments ...... 108 16.5 Low Emission Zone (LEZ) ...... 109 16.6 Public Transport and Park & Ride ...... 109 16.7 City Centre Master Plan (CCMP) ...... 109 16.8 Roads Hierarchy Principles ...... 109 16.9 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) ...... 110 16.10 Car Clubs ...... 110 16.11 Hydrogen ...... 111 16.12 Strategic Car Parking Review ...... 111 16.13 Rail Interchange Improvements...... 111 16.14 Smart Transport App ...... 111 16.15 Energy Transition Zone ...... 111
17 COMMUNICATION PLAN ...... 112 17.1 Stakeholder Mapping ...... 112 17.2 Key Messages...... 113 17.3 Communication Channels ...... 115 17.3.1 Website ...... 115 17.3.2 Video ...... 115 17.3.3 Social Media ...... 115 17.3.4 Radio Advertisement ...... 115 17.3.5 PR ...... 115 17.3.6 Events ...... 116 17.3.7 Vehicle Livery ...... 116 17.3.8 Branding ...... 116 17.3.9 Copywriting ...... 116
APPENDICES
Additional Information
Abbreviations AC Alternating Current
ACC Aberdeen City Council
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
AQAP Air Quality Action Plan
AQMA Air Quality Management Area
AWPR Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
BAU Business as Usual
BEV Battery Electric Vehicle
BiK Benefit in Kind
CAZ Clean Air Zone
CCC Committee on Climate Change
CCS Combined Charging System
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CO2e Carbon dioxide equivalent
CPNO Chargepoint Network Operator
CPMS Chargepoint Management System
CPZ Controlled Parking Zone
DC Direct Current
DCC Dundee City Council
DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DfT Department for Transport
EC European Commission
E-REV Extended Range Electric Vehicles
EST Energy Saving Trust
EU European Union EV Electric Vehicle EVAS Electric Vehicle Association Scotland EVSE Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment FORS Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme FTA Freight Transport Association GHG Greenhouse Gas
GUL Go Ultra Low
GVW Gross Vehicle Weight
HDV Heavy Duty Vehicle
HGV Heavy Goods Vehicles
HRS Hydrogen Refuelling Station kW Kilowatt kWh Kilowatt-hours LDP Local Development Plan LEVC London Electric Vehicles Company LEZ Low Emission Zone LGV Light Goods Vehicles LowCVP Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership
NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide
NOx Oxides of Nitrogen OCPP Open Chargepoint Protocol OLEV Office for Low Emission Vehicles OSCP Open Smart Charging Protocol PHEV Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles PHV Private Hire Vehicle PM Particulate Matter RED Renewable Energy Directive RDE Real Driving Emissions TCO Total Cost of Ownership TECA The Event Complex Aberdeen TfL Transport for London uCPMS Umbrella Chargepoint Management System
ULEV Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle
ULEZ Ultra-Low Emission Zone
V2G Vehicle-to-Grid
VPN Virtual Private Network
WAV Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle
WCS Workplace Charging Scheme
WHO World Health Organisation
WLC Whole Life Costs
WPL Workplace Parking Levy
WTW Well-to-Wheel
ZEV Zero Emission Vehicle
ZEZ Zero Emission Zones
1 Introduction 1.1 Background This Evidence Base and Baseline Report supports the Electric Vehicle (EV) Framework created for Aberdeen City Council (ACC). Within this document all workings, methodology and calculations have been provided that form the basis of the EV Framework and it is intended to be read in conjunction with the main EV Framework for those seeking further detail. In December 2019, Aberdeen City Council (ACC) commissioned an EV Framework for Aberdeen. ACC has been working with Transport Scotland, Energy Saving Trust Scotland (EST) and the UK Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), as well as other partners since 2011 to roll out EV chargepoints across the city. This is in line with the Scottish Government’s aim of phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032, ahead of the UK Government’s new 2035 target1. ACC has also been taking steps to increase EV use and reduce private car use, for example by: • Working with car clubs to give people the chance to experience EVs • Making strategic and policy commitments to support sustainable transport via the Aberdeen Local Transport Strategy (LTS) and Local Development Plan (LDP) Transport policies and Supplementary Guidance. ACC has over 100 charging sockets under its control. The majority are part of the Charge Place Scotland network and are available 24 hours a day to the public, with smaller numbers serving the council’s own fleet and designated EV car club bays across the city. Chargepoints are located citywide and there is a mixture of 50 kW DC / 43 kW AC rapid chargers, 22 kW fast chargers, 7 kW fast chargers and a small number of 3 kW slow chargers. Until recently, it has been free for a user to plug-in and take a charge from the units but, where fees applied, users had to pay for parking, even whilst their vehicle was charging. The only exceptions to this were the rapid chargers at two pay and display car parks – Gallowgate and Broomhill Road – where users could park for free whilst charging if they stayed with the vehicle. In June 2020, ACC introduced a fee of £0.19 per kWh delivered across all chargepoint types with a connection fee of £0.38. 1.2 Purpose of the EV Framework The purpose of the EV Framework is to establish a framework for ACC to inform the council’s plans to cater for an expected growth of EV uptake across the city through to 2030. The Electric Vehicle Association Scotland (EVAS) has reported that “range anxiety” – the fear of electric vehicles having insufficient range to complete a typical journey – has now been replaced by “charger anxiety” – the fear of not being able to find an available charger. Transport Scotland is therefore keen to see local authorities facilitate the installation of more chargers in order to bring more certainty to users. This includes encouraging private sector investment in the range of charging types and speeds required. There are other challenges around EV uptake, such as lack of impartial information about vehicle performance and higher upfront cost. The framework primarily focuses on chargepoint infrastructure requirements but also considers other barriers to widespread EV adoption. The framework should be used to inform the design and implementation of action plans and policies to increase uptake of EVs, reflecting current and forecast financial, environmental and operational technology performance. Ultimately the transition to EVs will help achieve the following: • Improved air quality, bringing non-compliant areas within limit values and improving public health outcomes • Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing towards Scotland’s net-zero carbon target • Increased regional economic development and inward investment
There are two key outputs that together form the ACC EV Framework: • The main EV Framework which presents the proposed approach that ACC should take, working with partners, to ensure it encourages and actively caters for a greater uptake of electric vehicles in the city. • This Evidence Base and Baseline Report which provides the basis for the EV Framework, including all technical information and details of methodologies.
1 Government policy announcement 04/02/2020
The framework should be used by decision makers in Aberdeen to guide their strategy development and investment decisions: • ACC and partners, including private sector organisations can use the framework to estimate what recharging infrastructure is likely to be required to support a transition to EVs and when the infrastructure needs to be in place • ACC can use the framework to identify sites for recharging infrastructure, working with the private sector and other partners to develop a comprehensive regional network to support EV adoption • Infrastructure providers can use the forecast scenarios for likely EV uptake to help develop business cases for setting up new sites • ACC and partners can use the framework to help determine what other supporting infrastructure and measures should be considered to support wider EV adoption • ACC can use the framework to help inform the development of future policies, plans and strategies • ACC can use the framework as an evidence base to support funding bids • Organisations in the fleet supply chain, including manufacturers, converters, retrofit suppliers and aftersales support providers, can ensure they are ready to take advantage of growth in the EV automotive sector
1.3 Scope The framework primarily concentrates on passenger cars and vans licenced by fleets and individuals within the Aberdeen City Council area. Some sections, for context, include more vehicle types and also refer to the Aberdeenshire Council area, given Aberdeen City’s role as a regional centre for the North East of Scotland. For the purposes of the framework ULEVs are defined for cars and vans using the UK Government definition of a ULEV as a vehicle which emits less than 75g CO2 per km irrespective of the Euro Standard. The framework covers the period from 2020 to 2030. Up to 2030 more reliable information exists to be able to inform the framework, including the pathways for technology and policy development and the scenarios for potential ULEV uptake. Beyond 2030, there are too many uncertainties in technology and policy to provide forecasts or recommendations with sufficient confidence. Although ULEVs can include pure petrol and diesel vehicles, the fuels and technologies that are included in the scope of this Framework are plug-in vehicles (pure battery electric, plug-in hybrid and extended range electric vehicles). Although they are considered in the EV Framework, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are covered by a separate Aberdeen City Council strategy. 1.4 Environmental Context In 2019, the Scottish Government declared a Climate Emergency and set a 2045 target for net zero emissions, the most stringent legislative targets anywhere in the world. This provides a framework for national policies and strategies in Scotland and, ultimately, those produced at regional and local level. ACC already has a comprehensive approach to climate change, including their sustainable energy action plan, ‘Powering Aberdeen’, and the ‘Adaptation Plan’ to build resilience to the climate challenges and opportunities in the area. Two environmental challenges of different scales are tackled by having an EV framework; local air pollution and climate change caused by GHGs. Emissions which contribute to both challenges are produced by fossil fuel combustion, with transport responsible for a significant share of local pollutant and GHG emissions. In 2016, Scottish transport accounted for 58% of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions, 18% of particulate matter PM10, 23% of particulate matter PM2.5, and 32.7% of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of Scotland’s total emissions2. ACC’s Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), published in 2011, identified transport as the main cause of the air quality problem in Aberdeen3. The framework ultimately proposes measures which will tackle both areas, with the minimum requirement being that any action reduces one type of emission without increasing the other. Solutions which improve air quality while increasing GHG emissions or vice versa are not considered in this report. Further details on air pollution emissions and greenhouse gases can be found in the Appendix.
2 Scottish Transport Statistics 2018, Chapter 13 Environment and Emissions 3 https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_quality_action_plan_2011.pdf
1.5 Report Structure The structure of the remainder of this document is as follows: • Policy and best practice: A review of national, regional and local policy, strategy and guidance covering transport, planning, economic development, clean air to provide context. Best practice examples from cities in the rest of the UK and continental Europe are presented. • Plug-in vehicles and infrastructure technology overview: An overview of the current and future status of EV and infrastructure technology. • Methodology: Methodology of all work carried out in this report. • Stakeholder engagement: the results of engagement with key stakeholders to understand their knowledge of, and attitudes towards, EVs. • Baselining: a baseline assessment of current vehicles registered in the region and EV infrastructure. • Forecasting: Three scenarios for EV uptake are presented, including expected emissions benefits and infrastructure requirements. • Infrastructure requirements for residents, visitors, commuters and transit: Utilising the previous uptake scenarios along with visitor, traffic flow and census data, we estimate the chargepoint infrastructure required to serve EVs not registered in the region. • Infrastructure locations: Analysis of off-street and on-street charging locations to create a shortlist of sites ranked by suitability and demand, together with advice on the type of charging infrastructure that should be installed. This will also include recommendations for how much infrastructure is needed in 2025 and provisions for 2030 for all short-listed sites. • Infrastructure procurement, management and network operating models: Recommendations on procurement and management of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) are provided for use by ACC and/or other organisations involved in the provision and installation of this equipment. The benefits and drawbacks of a number of network operating models and how tariffs should be implemented are presented. • Taxis: This section presents a high-level review of ACC’s taxi and private hire fleets and licensing policies, comparisons against other cities in Scotland and the rest of the UK, and identification of measures to increase EV uptake. • Freight and delivery vehicles: Discussion of options to increase uptake of EVs and other low emission vehicles by freight and delivery fleets. • Complementary measures: This section presents additional policies and measures that are likely to be required to support the transition to EVs. • Synergies with other activities: This section places the framework in the wider context of topics such as active travel, public transport and car club deployment. • Communication plan: An overview of various stakeholders, their level of importance and suggested engaged with them.
2 Policy and Best Practice 2.1 Policy Context This section outlines the main European, UK, Scottish, regional and Aberdeen City policies and legislation to reduce pollutant and GHG emissions. 2.1.1 UK Policy, Legislation and Relevant Initiatives Air Quality Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Environment Act (1995), the National Air Quality Strategy (2000) and Air Quality Regulations (2010) to compare current and forecast air quality levels against national and EU objectives. If objectives are unlikely to be met, the local authorities must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and develop a local Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). DEFRA4 identified 28 local authorities across the UK with persistent exceedances which are required to take action to meet NO2 limits as soon as possible. Clean Air Zones (CAZ) will be introduced in many UK cities to restrict use of older more polluting vehicles. However, CAZs and AQAPs do not tackle GHG emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Accelerated EV uptake is required to minimise all road transport emissions. Greenhouse Gas Emissions In 2019, the UK government amended the Climate Change Act (2008) to reflect the Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) recommendation for the UK to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 20505. The Road to Zero Industrial Strategy sets out the UK Government’s approach to reducing road transport emissions in order to help reach net-zero. Since the Road to Zero report was published the UK government has brought forward the ban on conventional diesel and petrol cars (including hybrids) from 2040 to 20356, subject to consultation. Funding for ULEV Deployment The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) plug-in car and van grant schemes provide a discount on the price of new eligible vehicles via a grant to vehicle manufacturers and dealers. The OLEV website highlights the latest grant values and eligible vehicles7. Other incentives include a Benefit in Kind (BiK) exemption for employees offering free charging for EVs at work, a £23m programme to increase the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations and increase uptake of fuel cell vehicles, and £20m to support Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) projects to create a smarter energy system. These spending commitments are supported by: • An EV energy taskforce which brings together the energy and automotive industries to plan for an increase in demand on energy infrastructure. • New powers through the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act (2018) to ensure chargepoints are available at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers. The main UK-wide policies likely to affect road transport and encourage a shift to EVs are illustrated in Figure 2-1: Policy context roadmap.
4 DEFRA: UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations, 2017 5 Committee on Climate Change Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming, 2019 6 Government policy announcement 04/02/2020 7 OLEV guidance to low-emission vehicles eligible for a plug-in grant https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants
Figure 2-1: Policy context roadmap
2.1.2 Scottish Policy, Legislation, Strategy and Relevant Initiatives Policy and Legislation Scottish policies and legislation are summarised below: • Scottish Government has pledged to phase out the need for conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032 (Climate Change Plan: third report on proposals and policies 2018-2032 (RPP3)8). • Scotland will reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2045, 5 years earlier than the rest of the UK ((Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019)9. • Scottish Government will phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars in public sector fleets by 2025, and all petrol and diesel vehicles in public sector fleets by 2030 (Protecting Scotland’s Future: The Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-20)10. • Scotland has 32 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) that reduce roadside pollution, including NOx and PM. There are currently three in Aberdeen: the City Centre (covering sections of Market St, King St, Virginia St, Guild St, Bridge St, Holburn St, Victoria Rd, Torry, and West North St); Wellington Road between Queen Elizabeth II roundabout and Balnagask Road, and; Anderson Drive/Haudagain/Auchmill Road corridor. • LEZs are planned in the four major cities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow). Glasgow has already launched the LEZ for buses only (Transport (Scotland) Act 2019)11. • Planning and Building Regulation: ULEV charging and dedicated parking for new developments. ULEV readiness specified in building codes and permitted development rights (National Framework of Local Incentives for Electric Vehicles)12.
Strategy and Relevant Initiatives Scotland has also set out strategies and initiatives to enable and encourage sustainability, reduce emissions and increase uptake of EVs. Key strategies and initiatives are stated below:
• Switched on Scotland: A Roadmap to Widespread Adoption of Plug-In Vehicles (2016): this roadmap, which builds on Switched on Scotland (2013), proposed the replacement of conventional vehicles with EVs as part of ongoing vehicle replacement cycles. It recognises likely differences in needs across different parts of society, such as between urban and rural communities. • Switched on Scotland Phase Two: An Actions Plan for Growth (2017): this report contains 10 actions to accelerate EV uptake within a sustainable transport system and a smart energy grid. Actions include developing the ChargePlace Scotland network and financial support for EVs and infrastructure.
8 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-governments-climate-change-plan-third-report-proposals-policies- 2018/pages/12/ 9 https://www.gov.scot/policies/climate-change/reducing-emissions/ 10 https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/publication/2019/09/protecting-scotlands-future- governments-programme-scotland-2019-20/documents/governments-programme-scotland-2019-20/governments- programme-scotland-2019-20/govscot%3Adocument/governments-programme-scotland-2019-20.pdf 11 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2019/17/contents/enacted 12 https://urbanforesight.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/REP-1409-TS-A-National-Framework-for-Local-Incentives.pdf
• To support EV uptake Transport Scotland provide funding for a 6-year interest-free loan that offers drivers up to £35,000 to cover the cost of purchasing a new Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), or up to £10,000 to cover the cost of purchasing a new electric motorcycle or scooter. • From 2018 to 2019, Transport Scotland invested £15 million in the ChargePlace Scotland network, providing 1,500 chargepoints in homes, businesses and on local authority land. • The Scottish National Transport Strategy (NTS2), published in February 2020, advocates a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system that protects the climate. The Strategy acknowledges the need for electric and other low emission vehicles to support the phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032. • Use of the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy (see • Figure 2-2:) in decision making for local authorities and government, promoting walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport and shared transport options in preference to single occupancy private car use. The Hierarchy was published in the NTS and should be used by decision makers including local authorities and other transport planners.
Figure 2-2: Sustainable Travel Hierarchy13
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Regional and local strategies and initiatives which go beyond the plans published at UK and Scotland levels are summarised below: Regional Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy (2013) • The Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) report and Nestrans 2040 report include a comprehensive appraisal of the problems and issues affecting transport in the north east of Scotland and sets clear objectives for improving transport in the region. The RTS notes that the north east region is seeking to be a leading player in the development and deployment of alternative fuels, including EVs, hydrogen fuel cells and biodiesel. There are 6 main objectives moving through to 2040 based on the Nestrans 2040 report. These include reducing the adverse impacts of transport on public health and the natural and built environment and reducing the need to travel by private car.
13 National Transport Strategy, Scotland (2019)
• Actions include: – Support for initiatives to promote and establish Aberdeen City and Shire as an alternative energy capital. – Facilitate and encourage the expansion of EVs and charging points. – Support the development and trial of technological advances (e.g. EVs and FCEVs) that will reduce carbon emissions in the transport network.
Aberdeen City Region Deal, Strategic Transport Appraisal: Pre-Appraisal Report • Transport Planning Objective 3 is to “reduce the adverse impacts of transport on public health and the natural and built environment”. • There are opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles. These include increasing the uptake of lower or zero emission (e.g. electric and hydrogen) vehicles, and the introduction of targeted demand management in selected areas (i.e. AQMAs).
Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan (2014) • A sustainable development objective is to “be a city region which takes the lead in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air, adapts to the effects of climate change and limits the amount of non- renewable resources it uses.” • To do this ACC need to encourage the use of electric vehicles by providing the charging points required for their use (4.8).
2018-23 Regional Economic Strategy Action Plan • The action plan places an emphasis on transport investment as well as sustainability and preserving the natural assets and clean environment. • Action (viii) of the Investment in Infrastructure strategy is to enhance the City Centre environment by the implementation of transport elements of the City Centre Masterplan and a Low Emission Zone.
Local Aberdeen Air Quality Action Plan (2011) • Most of the report’s measures are concerned with reducing the impact of transport emissions which were identified as the main cause of the air quality problem in Aberdeen. • Measure 2.1 of the Air Quality Action Plan is green vehicle procurement and fuel/charging infrastructure. As part of this measure, ACC will examine opportunities to encourage and incentivise smaller local businesses to use greener vehicles.
Aberdeen City Centre Master Plan (2015) • Vehicles dominate many of the city centre’s streets and, due to the concentration of motorised vehicles, much of the city centre is assigned as an Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) due to the harmful levels of nitrous oxide and particulates. • The masterplan aims to relocate car movement with measures including: – Greater use of Park and Ride sites on the periphery of the city will be promoted. – Expansion and promotion of car clubs (both conventional and electric vehicles) for residents and businesses located in the city centre. – New parking provision to be limited to charging spaces for EVs, car clubs, and disabled spaces.
Aberdeen Local Development Plan (2017) • Policy T2 - Managing the Transport Impact of Development: – New developments must demonstrate that measures have been taken to reduce traffic generation and increase sustainable travel. Where this is not sufficient developers must provide such facilities.
• Policy T3 - Sustainable and Active Travel: – New developments must be accessible by a range of transport modes, with an emphasis on active and sustainable transport. – When car use is required, initiatives such as car clubs and electric vehicle will be supported.
Local Development Plan Supplementary Guidance: Transport and Accessibility • All new developments will be required to install appropriate EV charging infrastructure. This includes both active provision of ‘ready-to-go’ chargepoints and passive provision of power supply and cabling to enable installation in the future. • For residential developments, one charge point connected to the domestic electricity supply (passive provision) is required for each unit where spaces are private and off-street. • Non-residential requirements are more complex as provision scales with the number of spaces. Alterations to existing car parks will have to comply with the provision too. • The site occupier is responsible for managing and maintaining the charge points. They can choose whether charge for their use or offer it for free. • The developer will need to meet the costs of any upgrades required to the power network to facilitate the charging infrastructure.
Aberdeen Local Transport Strategy (2016-2021) • Within the LTS were the following objectives related to EVs: – Improve air quality across the city so that existing AQMAs are revoked and no further AQMAs declared. – Facilitate the uptake of ULEVs as a contribution to improving the air quality in the city. • ‘Park and Choose’ is the term adopted by the Council to enhance the facilities at Park and Ride sites to facilitate integration with all modes including bikes, car sharing, and electric vehicle recharging.
Aberdeen Active Travel Action Plan (2017) • Although this Action Plan does not focus on vehicles, it includes an action to examine the feasibility of establishing mini interchange hubs within the City, allowing people to ‘park and cycle’, ‘cycle and bus’, etc”. providing EV charging at these interchange hubs could encourage people to leave their car in a place it can be charged and cycle the rest of the way, embedding EVs in a broader sustainable transport solution.
Aberdeen Local Outcome Improvement Plan (2016-26) • Aberdeen will drive an investment in infrastructure by improving deployment of low carbon transport in the city and urban areas.
Aberdeenshire Local Transport Strategy (2012) • The aims of the LTS relevant to EVs are: – To reduce non-sustainable journeys; – To make travel more effective; – To improve health; and – To reduce carbon emissions from transport. • Actions will include promoting the benefits of eco-driving, supporting local car clubs, supporting new low carbon vehicle initiatives and implementing associated infrastructure where appropriate.
Aberdeenshire Low Emission Vehicle Delivery Plan • Create a robust charging network along the A947 Corridor from 2018-2020. • Roll out rapid 50 kW charge points into the Council’s super depots and review recently installed units and support high demand sites with additional 22 kW chargers.
• Determine the area of greatest demand in the existing network and supplement them with additional charging infrastructure. • Seek opportunities to promote EVs alongside other sustainable travel.
Aberdeen City Region Hydrogen Strategy and Action Plan (2015-2025) • This report focuses on how hydrogen FCEVs will fit in with existing EV strategies. • There will be a focus on hydrogen as a solution to long range and rapid refuel requirements. FCEVs will be deployed in the bus and council fleet. • Campaign for FCEVs to receive equal treatment with other electric vehicles in national incentive schemes.
Strategic Car Parking Review • Most of the ACC operated car parks do not have provision for EV nor Car Club parking and therefore do not support a reduction in traffic or impact on targets to manage air quality. • The number of spaces in general is still fairly limited, with users of EVs vying for a relatively small number of overall spaces. • The Co-wheels Car Club offer TDM solutions to provide alternatives to private ownership of a vehicle and to help alleviate the issues relating to car parking including competition for space and environmental problems which may be alleviated with the use of EVs.
Roads Hierarchy Principles In 2017 ACC’s Communities Housing and Infrastructure Committee were asked to agree a set of Roads Hierarchy Principles (RHP). In summary, these principles are that: • Through traffic, peripheral traffic and traffic leaving Aberdeen is directed to the AWPR. • The city centre should be considered as a destination rather than a through route for vehicle traffic. • The benefits of the AWPR must be ‘locked in’ to prioritise the movement of active and sustainable travel
Schemes ACC also has a wide range of relevant schemes in place which are considered briefly here.
AWPR • Creation of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) to reroute transitory traffic away from Aberdeen city centre. • This will not directly impact likely EV uptake rates but may help direct traffic to Park & Ride sites and other potential chargepoint locations outside the city. It will also allow ACC to think differently about how the city centre is used and accessed with the through-traffic removed.
CCMP and SUMP • The Aberdeen City Centre Master Plan (CCMP) and the complementary Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) will build on the expected reduction in city centre traffic through measures including reduced speed limits on some streets, increased active travel provision, improved public transport, ongoing engagement with car club operators for sustainable low emission transport, continued promotion of EVs, and action to reduce freight trips. • There is no direct link between these plans and EV uptake rates, though continued promotion of EVs is considered, so they align well.
TECA • The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) is located on the A96 near Aberdeen International Airport. This new conference centre is more accessible in comparison to the current conference centre and is consequently likely to attract more conferences and events to the city.
• As it is likely to draw a large number of people (and transport demand) to this area for events so this should be factored into charging plans for the area.
Rail Improvements • The Aberdeen – Inverness Improvement Project is a Scottish Government funded project to upgrade the railway infrastructure between Aberdeen and Inverness. The scheme aims to deliver enhanced commuter services into each city and to facilitate the capacity for new stations at Kintore and Inverness Airport. Making it easier to travel into the city centre by train might encourage people to park at stations on outskirts, meaning demand for charging is likely to increase around stations.
New Harbour • Aberdeen South Harbour is an extension to the existing Aberdeen Harbour. This new harbour, currently under construction at Bay of Nigg, will help increase Aberdeen’s capacity to dock larger vessels including offshore decommissioning vessels and cruise ships. The welcoming of cruise ships to the city will increase visitor numbers. • This could be a potential chargepoint site for taxis, as flagged later in this report.
Park and Ride Review • A Park and Ride Review was undertaken by Nestrans in order to better understand the current usage, and barriers to usage, of Park and Rides in the North East of Scotland. • The report concluded that Aberdeen’s Park & Ride sites are very poorly utilised. Craibstone was noted as a site that significantly underperforms in terms of occupancy versus capacity. Bridge of Don also appears to be underutilised, operating at no more than approx. 16% of capacity on any survey day. • ACC aims to increase utilisation of these sites to reduce city centre traffic. Providing EV charging at these locations could help to encourage more people to park at them and use the services.
Hydrogen Project • ACC is committed to transitioning to use of zero emission (tailpipe) vehicles in the city and is considering hydrogen alongside EV. It has pioneered the deployment of hydrogen light and heavy duty vehicles: – Aberdeen has Europe’s largest hydrogen bus fleet. – There are two hydrogen refuelling stations at Kittybrewster and ACHES. – Co-wheels have two Toyota Mirais available as car club vehicles and run a further vehicle as part of the Robert Gordon University fleet. – There are several council owned Toyota Mirai vehicles. – ACC operate two dual-fuel 16t hydrogen street sweepers with a third sweeper being progressed. – ACC operate two dual-fuel 26t hydrogen refuse collection vehicles. – ACC have placed a hydrogen fuel cell 26t refuse collection vehicle due to start operations in October 2020.
Car Club • Co-Wheels currently provide EVs and hydrogen vehicles as part of its car club offering in Aberdeen and are under contract with ACC to provide these services in the city until 31/03/2022.
• ACC has provided charging bays throughout the city, both dedicated to car club vehicles and shared with the general public. Relevant schemes are discussed in more detail in the Synergies with Other Activities section of this report.
2.1.3 European Policies and Legislation
It is not possible to predict the implications of Brexit on current and future EU policy and legislation. The European policies listed below are likely to remain in place as they have been transposed into UK legislation. The European Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008) requires European Union (EU) Member States to meet air quality limit values set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Renewable Energy Directive (2009) (RED) sets binding national targets to ensure 20% of the EU’s energy use comes from renewable sources. The Clean Vehicles Directive (2009) requires public sector organisations to consider vehicles’ environmental performance during procurement, including energy consumption and emissions. The Clean Fuels Directive (2014) requires Member States to develop policy frameworks for the market development of alternative fuels and infrastructure. The Euro Emissions Standards are regulations to improve vehicles’ intrinsic pollutant emissions performance. Manufacturers must ensure new vehicles comply with the latest standards (Euro 6 for light duty vehicles and Euro VI for heavy vehicle engines) as part of the type approval process. Standards are backed up by the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) test procedure, which reduces the discrepancy between test and in- service emissions.
The EU has set mandatory CO2 Emissions Standards for new cars and vans since 2009 and 2011 respectively. From 2021, the EU fleet-wide average emission target for new cars will be 95g CO2 per kilometre and from 2020 the target for vans will be 147g CO2 per km. These will be tightened further, with manufacturers required to achieve a percentage reduction from a 2021 baseline as follows: • Cars: 15% reduction from 2025 and 37.5% reduction from 2030. • LGVs: 15% reduction from 2025 and 31% reduction from 2030.
2.2 Best Practice Examples Aberdeen is starting from a relatively high baseline in terms of EV adoption; ACC can build on this to position the city as an exemplar for EV deployment. Examples of best practice from European, English and Scottish local authorities were reviewed to identify measures that ACC could implement. 2.2.1 European Local Authorities Amsterdam • Almost 5,000 chargepoints have been installed across the city. • Amsterdam has set three key dates for emission boundary targets. From 2022, only zero tailpipe emission buses and coaches will be permitted in the city centre. From 2025, all traffic except passenger cars and motorbikes, must produce zero tailpipe emissions within the city’s ring road. From 2030, all traffic within the built-up area must have zero tailpipe emissions. • The “Clean taxis for Amsterdam” policy states that all taxis must be zero tailpipe emissions by 2025. Over 800 electric taxis are currently in operation. • Several organisations are working on a smart grid, making use of the storage capacity of EVs. The municipality facilitates these organisations where possible.
Oslo • Number of chargepoints installed reached 2,000 in 2017. • The city provides incentives including free parking for EVs, exemption from a congestion tax, and exemptions from LEZ fees. • Only zero tailpipe emission taxis will be able to operate in the city from 2023. • The city is deploying fossil free public transport from 2020 and is considering a ban on petrol and diesel cars within the city centre by 2024.
2.2.2 English Local Authorities Nottingham • OLEV has provided a multi-million-pound fund to support ULEV uptake. The city has installed 300 chargepoints to support EV use. • Nottingham’s Workplace Parking Levy (WPL), introduced in October 2011, is an annual charge of £415 levied on all employers within Nottingham City Council’s administrative boundary which provide 11 or more liable workplace parking bays. Since 2012 £64 million has been generated which has been reinvested in public and sustainable transport. • Workplace Travel Service – the council is helping businesses make more sustainable travel choices – supported by Drive Electric and Cenex. • Nottingham implemented the UK’s first bus lane that also allows access by ULEVs. For this scheme an ‘Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle’ (ULEV), is a vehicle that emits less than 75g of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre travelled, with a capability of travelling a minimum range of 10 miles with zero CO2 emissions. This is based on the HM Treasury Company Car Tax definition. • Nottingham City Council is converting its pool car, van, refuse collection and street sweeper fleets to ULEVs (ULEVs defined as above). • Education and engagement – the council organises events in partnership with local dealerships, with information from industry experts, supported by a network of EV champions. • Electric taxis – try before you buy scheme with Nottingham’s taxi drivers. Nottingham has the biggest fleet of ULEV (defined as above) hackney taxis outside London.
Bristol • Go Ultra Low West (GULW) is a £7 million project that is accelerating the purchase of EVs across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset. The local authorities in the area currently have over 70 EVs in their fleets. • 120 new chargepoint connections are being installed to double the size of the network. By 2021, there will be four Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hubs in the West of England. • GULW provides 50% match funding for chargepoints to be installed in businesses in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.
2.2.3 Scottish Local Authorities Dundee • Dundee City Council currently has over 80 EVs in its fleet. • The council is building a comprehensive chargepoint network to support individual and business EV users. The Council has installed 124 sockets at 20 locations14 in Dundee so far; the majority of which are publicly accessible. • Many chargepoints are being installed at EV charging hubs to support the 50% of homes in Dundee which do not have the capability to charge electric vehicles at home. Installations are near key locations in communities such as shops and cafes. 14 rapid and 8 fast chargers, battery storage, solar canopy and smart mobility solutions are being installed. • The city has over 100 EV taxis, and 30% of its buses are electric. The Council has reached its target of 10% of city taxis being fully electric by the end of 2017. In addition, Co-wheels operates a fleet of hybrid and EV car club vehicles. • The Go-Ultra-Low programme has supported these measures with a significant injection of OLEV funding. • Capital investment is supported by the Drive Dundee Electric campaign which increases EV uptake by raising awareness of the technology, promoting incentives and highlighting the benefits. The campaign was promoted at events and engagements with business. • There is free parking in Council carparks for electric vehicle owners.
14 Data according to Zap-Map.com
Glasgow • Glasgow City Council’s aim is for all 2,000 of its vehicles to be zero emissions at the tailpipe by the end of 2029. • The council has received an £805,000 funding award from Transport Scotland to convert 23 winter gritters to dual fuel hydrogen. • Glasgow has been awarded a further Transport Scotland fund of £2.2 million to improve infrastructure for EV chargepoints and decarbonise public sector fleets.
2.2.4 Gap Analysis The review of documents presented in section 2.1.2 indicates that ACC is already well placed to tackle challenges including climate change, air quality and congestion. It has a comprehensive suite of strategies and policies in place which will reduce private car ownership and use in the city and encourage use of more sustainable modes, including public transport, active travel and car clubs. The only significant weakness is that most of the ACC operated car parks do not have provision for EV or Car Club parking and, therefore, do not support a reduction in traffic or impact on targets to manage air quality. There are other considerations that would enable ACC to take further steps to becoming a leader in EV adoption in Scotland, the UK and Europe: • There is no current policy, legislation or strategy for encouraging uptake of EV taxis and, as section 12 of this report shows, Aberdeen lags behind other cities in EV taxi uptake. • Other major cities in Scotland have already started to heavily decarbonise their Council fleet vehicles and pledged for all vehicles to be zero emission before the national target of 2030. ACC could also consider accelerating this target. • There is a lack of support for local businesses to move to EVs through either partial funding or drive before you buy schemes. • ACC’s new Local Development Plan (LDP) is still under development and will not be adopted until 2022. ACC should continue to provide charging standards for new developments in order to encourage EV uptake and chargepoint installation.
Overall, from a strategy and policy perspective, ACC is well positioned to support and capitalise on the shift to EVs and, with the right charging infrastructure in place, is likely to see increased uptake in cleaner vehicles over the next decade.
3 Technology Overview 3.1 Vehicles There are several types of plug-in vehicles. A battery electric vehicle (BEV) stored energy in a battery (usually lithium-ion) and delivers its power to the wheels through an electric motor. Braking energy is captured by the electric motor and stored as electrical energy in the battery. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and extended range electric vehicles (E-REV) both have an internal combustion engine as well as a battery and electric motor. PHEVs are parallel hybrids, which means the wheels can be driven by either the combustion engine or the electric motor. E-REVs are series Hybridge, so the wheels are always powered by the electric motor and the battery is recharged by the combustion engine. For diagrams of these drivetrains refer to page 14 of Switched on Scotland15. The roadmaps in this section illustrate forecast improvements in EVs and infrastructure technology..
3.1.1 Vehicle Availability Cars: Most major manufacturers now offer BEVs and PHEVs in segments ranging from small cars to SUVs. In Europe, at the end of 2019, there were fewer than 100 EV models available on the market – this is forecast to increase to 330 EV models by 202516. LGVs: The plug-in commercial vehicle market is growing, with an increasing range of BEV and PHEV vans. In Europe, at the end of 2019, there were fewer than 30 EV models available on the market. Model availability is likely to increase but there is no equivalent data for manufacturer pledges. Refer to the OLEV website for a regularly updated list of vehicles eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant17 and Plug-in Van Grant18.
3.1.2 EV Roadmap
Figure 3-1: EV Technology Roadmap 2020 – 2025 Cars: Product choice on the market will continue to grow in all vehicle segments, with range on a single charge increasing significantly. Capital cost parity with conventional vehicles is expected by the mid-2020s. LGVs: Battery capacities will increase, providing single charge range up to 300 miles. This is likely to support a rapid growth in model availability. Large plug-in LGVs will become more widely available towards the end of this period. There will be a business case for operating plug-in LGVs on a total cost of ownership
15 https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/30506/j272736.pdf 16 Electric Surge: Carmakers’ electric car plans across Europe 2019-2025 [Transport and Environment] (July 2019) 17 OLEV Plug-in Car and Van Grants: https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants 18 OLEV Plug-in Car and Van Grants: https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants
basis in many cases, but the upfront price premium for large LGVs may mean high mileage duty cycles or long ownership periods are required. Emissions: WTW emissions will continue to drop as the UK electricity grid is decarbonised. Emissions intensity of grid electricity is predicted to fall from 136 gCO2e per kWh in 2020 to 108 gCO2e per kWh by 2025, a reduction of 68%19. 2025 – 2030 Cars: In the second half of the decade increased vehicle choice, longer ranges, falling prices and new policies will significantly increase the use of EVs. LGVs: EVs will reach capital cost parity with conventional diesel vehicles. Access to charging infrastructure may be the greatest barrier to widespread uptake.
Emissions: WTW emissions will drop further, from 108 gCO2e per kWh in 2020 to 85 gCO2e per kWh by 2030, a reduction of 76%20.
3.2 Infrastructure 3.2.1 EV Recharging Charging Connectors Slow and standard charging is supplied by either a Type 1 or Type 2 alternating current (AC) connector. Vehicles will be supplied with the appropriate lead for connecting to these chargepoints, which are typically installed at residential or workplace sites, on the kerbside and long-stay car parks. Fast, rapid and ultra-rapid charging can be supplied by either AC or direct current (DC). AC rapid charging is always supplied via a Type 2 connector. DC rapid charging has two connector types, depending on the vehicle. Japanese vehicle manufacturers such as Nissan and Mitsubishi use the CHAdeMO connector. European vehicle manufacturers use the Combined Charging System (CCS). Rapid chargepoints have tethered cables for both DC connector types and AC Type 2 as well. However, some rapid chargers do not have an AC outlet and therefore users are required to use their own Type 2 leads. Hardware Costs Power rating has a significant impact on hardware costs when installed in new locations. It is therefore crucial to select the appropriate power rating for each location and scenario, considering expected dwell time21 for each vehicle type and the distance travelled between charges. Future demand should also be taken into account to ensure there is sufficient capacity to expand the site with more chargers when/if needed.
19 WTT CO2 forecast for grid electricity from 'EEP2018' (Gov UK). 20 WTT CO2 forecast for grid electricity from 'EEP2018' (Gov UK) 21 The amount of time an electric vehicle will remain stationary at a chargepoint
3.2.2 EV Infrastructure Roadmap Figure 3-2 illustrates the EV Infrastructure Roadmap.
Figure 3-2: EV Infrastructure Roadmap 2020 – 2025 Up to 2025 domestic charging and EV ownership will be largely restricted to households with off-street parking where a dedicated private chargepoint can be installed. Domestic and workplace charging will typically be delivered at up to 7 kW. The rapid chargepoint network of 50 kW DC units will continue to grow, with increasing coverage on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Some ultra-rapid chargers will be installed, offering speeds of up to 350 kW for compatible vehicles. Smart charging will become increasingly widespread, offering the functionality for remote signals to adjust the electricity consumption flowing through chargepoints. As costs decrease, government support is likely to be phased out for 7 kW and fast chargers. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is at the technology demonstration phase. V2G can help reduce the impact of mass EV adoption on the electricity grid via bi-directional flows of electricity between EVs and chargepoints. Trials will focus on proving the use case for fleet and private customers. Other technologies such as car ports providing solar energy for chargepoints will also start to increase market share. 2025 – 2030 Beyond 2025 charging availability will increase rapidly for homes without off-street parking, opening up the possibility of mass EV adoption for private car owners and some van operators. This is likely to mostly involve the use of charging hubs, offering ultra-rapid rates of charging at an affordable cost. Nonetheless, 7 kW charging will remain a staple supply for many homes. Costs will fall as demand increases, although the benefits will be mitigated by the removal of government incentives. 3.2.3 Novel Charging Solutions Kerbside Domestic Charging Extending domestic electrical supply to the kerb can be achieved using cable channels and guides. These are typically shallow trenches dug into a pavement, before being fitted with a cover that allows a charging cable to run through the channel without presenting a public health and safety risk in the form a trip hazard. The property should be fitted with a dedicated 3-7 kW domestic chargepoint. This will maximise speed of charge, reduce likelihood of electrical faults, maintain safety standards and add smart functionality that is anticipated to be used in the future to reduce impact on the grid.
Strengths • EV users can access domestic electricity rates, which will typically be cheaper than using a public chargepoint • EV users retain ownership of charging equipment, increasing confidence in technology • Mitigates capital and operating costs associated with purchasing, installing and operating public charging infrastructure • UK government is consulting on proposals that would see all domestic chargepoints equipped with smart technology that would minimise impact on the local distribution network • Costly and complex elements of traditional chargepoint installation are mitigated, including the need for extensive trenching to install electrical cabling and the need for a feeder pillar. Weaknesses • Unless a dedicated bay is provided, the property owner can’t guarantee they can park their EV within reach of the charging cable • There are no restrictions preventing property owners from running cables through a channel not intended for outdoor use, with inherent safety risks • Removable or openable covers could present a trip hazard • Cable ducting may create a false perception of a dedicated parking bay, demonstrated in Figure 3-3 • Lack of clarity about public liability and fault in the case of injury • Capital costs of installing charging equipment rest with the property owner, which may mean smart capabilities and safety features are not included unless mandatory.
Figure 3-3: An illustration of cable channels and guides (Ecolane Consultancy & Next Green Car)
Pop-up Chargepoints Pop-up chargepoints allow chargepoints to sit flush to the pavement surface when not in use and, in some cases, while charging is underway. These solutions are generally at a “close to market” stage of development, with suppliers engaging with local authorities and landowners to deploy trial units. A pop-up EV charger is shown in Figure 3-4 and underground charging point in Figure 3-5. Strengths • Additional street clutter mostly mitigated, reducing hazards to pedestrians and maintaining the integrity of the footway • Less of a target for vandalism, especially for units that require interaction through an app or RFID card for the chargepoint to emerge • Less vulnerable to accidental damage from, for example, low speed vehicle collisions Weaknesses • Mostly unproven in the public realm • Faults may be more frequent and repair costs may be higher than conventional chargers • Installation is more complex than some alternative solutions, possibly requiring a greater depth of excavation and therefore greater risk of interrupting underground service lines • May be vulnerable to water ingress, depending on exact design • Higher capital costs are likely to occur due to the greater number of components required
• Units that are not propelled to a significant height above the ground require user interaction at very low height, impacting accessibility from users with impaired mobility • Certain designs do not entirely remove trip hazards when in use, as the charging cable emerges from the ground and into the vehicle – potentially more hazardous than cables running from a free-standing chargepoint
Figure 3-4: Urban Electric UEOne pop-up EV charger
Figure 3-5: Street Plug underground charging solution Shared Power Supply (Including Lamppost) EV charging equipment has been on the market for over a year that can be retrofitted to existing street furniture with a pre-existing electrical connection, demonstrated in Figure 3-6 and Figure 3-7. Equipment is usually affixed to lampposts, replacing the existing faceplate with an EV charging socket. Some equipment doesn’t have a user interface on the lamppost, with all controls and communications being facilitated remotely through smart cables. Where assets are located away from the kerbside, suppliers can provide equipment that extends the supply to a charging unit at the kerbside (often referred to as a satellite unit). Strengths • Can typically be installed quickly – a matter of hours in most cases • Low profile and, in most cases, no additional street clutter • No need to dig up pavement, unless additional earthing required • No need for additional electrical cabling, unless using satellite posts • Considerably lower equipment and installation cost than most alternatives
Weaknesses • Where smart cables are required, EV users must purchase them individually (£200-400) increasing costs for residents and recuing use by other drivers • Electricity capacity can be limited, which may restrict the speed of the equipment and/or the number of units that can be fitted in a given area • Smart cables are proprietary to the chargepoint provider, therefore chargepoints are not interoperable and do not provide “ad hoc” access. This may be non-compliant with the Automated and Electric Vehicle Act (2018), though no test case has been brought.
• Technology is best fitted to kerbside assets and, in many areas, assets such as lampposts have been or are being relocated away from the kerb • Satellite posts add street furniture, with negative impacts on pedestrians • When installing charging equipment using shared power suppliers, certain distribution network operators are not satisfied that earthing is strong enough to present no risk to the public. As such, connection requests may be refused on this basis
Figure 3-6: Ubitricity on-street charging solutions
Figure 3-7: Rolec Streetserve (left) and Streetcharge (right)
Wireless Charging Wireless (or inductive) charging allows an EV to receive a charge without physically connecting the vehicle to a chargepoint. Wireless chargers use electrical coils, mounted on or under the road surface, to generate an oscillating magnetic field. This field is then received and converted back to electrical energy by a set of coils fitted to the underside of an EV, before being fed into the battery. Wireless charging systems are predicted to be available in static and dynamic forms. Static wireless charging has a fixed transmitter pad that an EV must be parked on top of in order to interface and receive a charge. Dynamic wireless charging is fitted along a stretch of road and will interface with and charge any wireless charging enabled EV either parked or moving on top of it. Strengths • Added convenience of not needing to physically plug-vehicle in, particularly for vehicles which are not likely to remain stationary for long (e.g. taxis on a rank) • Less additional street clutter than wired chargepoints • Resistant to vandalism and accidental damage from vehicle collisions • Dynamic wireless charging is a feasible pathway to enabling EVs to charge as they drive Weaknesses • Technology is not at market – it is anticipated that wireless charging will not be commercially viable until around 2025-2030 • Considerably more expensive to purchase and install than wired charging infrastructure, especially dynamic wireless charging, which requires long stretches of road surface to be removed during installation
• Limited vehicle compatibility – at present, the only vehicles that are compatible have either been purpose- built or retrofitted to demonstrate wireless charging • Lack of common standards and interoperability, due to the immaturity of the technology • Connection process still requires significant user input in order to ensure the wireless charging transmitter on the road surface aligns with the receiver on the vehicle • On-street, there is no guarantee that the wireless charging pad will be in the correct position to interface with a vehicle – this will depend on how other vehicles are parked and where the wireless charging pad is positioned on the underside of a given vehicle
This technology is not yet at market and therefore is not considered as a viable option within this framework as a near-term charging solution. Battery Swapping Battery swapping involves replacing a depleted battery with a fully charged one at a battery swapping station, instead of stopping and waiting to recharge. Strengths • This could offer drivers’ a fully recharged battery in less time than from a chargepoint, even a 50kW rapid charge unit Weaknesses • Would require significant hardware standardisation across vehicle manufacturers, which is unlikely to be achievable • Would require significant co-operation between vehicle manufacturers and battery suppliers (unless battery swapping could only be undertaken at a manufacturer approved dealer) • Ultra-rapid (150kW plus) charging will close the gap between the time taken for a hard-wired charge and a battery swap. This technology is not expected to play a role in providing EV charging solutions in the UK in the short to medium term, though it is being considered in China, where standardisation is easier to mandate. Summary Several technologies which are at the R&D or early deployment phase theoretically support charging infrastructure deployment in residential areas without off-street parking provision. However, the market is reasonably immature and many of the hardware solutions are flawed, not widely proven, and more expensive than conventional options. Updates to planning regulations to aid infrastructure rollouts in these areas should consider community charging hubs, as well as the above solutions. In the short-term, ACC should concentrate on facilitating the roll-out of conventional on- and off-street charging, while keeping a ‘watching brief’ on the technologies described here.
4 Methodology 4.1 Baselining This section describes the methodology used to assess the current vehicles registered in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and their associated emissions. Aberdeenshire has been analysed for current and future vehicle registrations, emissions and current infrastructure, in order to provide context and account for the fact that traffic travelling into Aberdeen from outside the city is primarily from Aberdeenshire. Vehicles Registered in the Region • Details of vehicles registered in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire were taken from DfT vehicle registrations data22,23. This provides a breakdown of vehicles by year of registration, fuel type, Euro emissions standards and, for some vehicles, tailpipe CO2 emissions. • These datasets allowed us to develop a model of the composition of the vehicles registered in the region based on the estimated number of each vehicle type in the region. Emissions Emissions were calculated using a ‘bottom up’ approach: emissions for individual vehicles in each category were calculated based on estimated mileage and known official tailpipe emissions, multiplied by the number of vehicles of that type registered in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. • A range of UK government sources were used to obtain estimated annual mileage for each vehicle type24. Additional duty cycle data was taken from other sources25,26,27. • We combined the registered vehicle data; annual mileage estimates and DEFRA emissions conversion factors to estimate annual GHG and pollutant emissions for individual vehicles within each vehicle category and for each category overall. Infrastructure • All infrastructure baselining and analysis used a chargepoint dataset provided by ACC for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. This included all units installed by both local authorities on the Chargeplace Scotland network. The data covered 12 months of charging events for all chargepoints between the 1st of December 2018 and the 30th of November 2019. • Infrastructure locations were mapped using GIS for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and were broken down into charger ratings (7 kW, 22 kW and 50 kW) and access type (car club, council fleet, public, public & car club).
4.2 Scenario Development We developed three scenarios for EV uptake and infrastructure requirements as defined below: 1. Business-as-usual (BAU): assumes no change to policy; forecasts are extrapolated from current registration trends as analysed in the previous section. 2. Good practice: in line with the DfT Road to Zero medium scenario which aims for 50% of new registrations to be plug-in vehicles by 2030. 3. Exemplar: in line with the Scottish Government’s aim for the phase out of petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.
22 DfT Vehicle Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vehicles-statistics (including table 0131) 23 VEH0126 Gov UK 24 Cars: National Travel Survey: Table NTS0901; Motorbikes National Travel Survey: Motorcycle use in England; LGVs and Buses Road Traffic Estimates: Great Britain 2017; HGVs Road Freight Statistics: Table RFS01112. National Travel Survey data only applies to England and Wales but was used here in the absence of equivalent data for Scotland. In 2015, the most recent year in which data for Scotland was available, average annual mileages were very similar to data for England and Wales. 25 National Travel Survey: Table NTS0303. 26 Estimated based on Cenex fleet data 27 Road Traffic Estimates: Great Britain 2017
4.3 Infrastructure Demand and Site Identification The site identification methodology proposed follows the process shown in Figure below. The methodology is summarised in this sub-section, with full assumptions detailed in the Appendix.
Figure 4-1: Strategic site identification process Longlist Criteria A longlist was created from a list of all possible sites where chargepoints might be located, prior to further analysis to determine suitability. The purpose of the longlist is to identify all sites that may present a potentially ideal location for the installation of EV charging infrastructure. At this stage, sites are not scored (this takes place during the shortlisting stage, later in the site identification process) but simply identified as conforming to one or more of certain criteria. These criteria include: • Car parks owned by ACC • Car parks owned by other parties including private businesses and industrial estates, NHS, and educational organisations. • Transport hubs, including train stations, fuel stations, park and rides, and taxi ranks • Leisure destinations and attractions, including retail parks and districts, museums, galleries, National Trust and Heritage sites, and theme parks • Major employment sites and industrial estates • Locations where EV charging infrastructure has already been installed • Supermarkets with attached car parks • Help meet future needs • Capacity to expand provision
Following feedback from ACC we amended the longlist by removing privately owned sites which are not designed primarily for public access, such as industrial parks, and developments which have already received planning consent. Longlist Evidence In the case of many sites recommended within the longlisting criteria, such as local authority car parks and education organisation, data can be sourced from OpenStreetMap (OSM)28. Data on the location of existing EV infrastructure has been provided by ACC and has been cross-referenced with data from the National Chargepoint Registry29. Shortlisting Criteria and Scoring A shortlist was produced by assessing each site and scoring it from one to four against the following: • Public access • Welcoming of city centre visitors (combined with) Useful for strategic routing • Contributes to local strategies including the CCMP, Roads Hierarchy and Strategic Car Parking Review • Useful for residents who cannot charge at home • Encouraging of growth of taxi and commercial market
28 https://www.openstreetmap.org/about 29 https://data.gov.uk/dataset/1ce239a6-d720-4305-ab52-17793fedfac3/national-charge-point-registry
• Accessible 24/7 • Ease/feasibility of implementation • Identifying spatial gaps, particularly in regeneration areas. • Help meet future needs • Capacity to expand provision Scoring each site from one to four against each criteria produced a final score and, in doing so, a ranking in terms of suitability. Slow or rapid charging The next step is to determine whether slow (7kW), fast (22kW) or rapid (50kW+) chargers should be installed at each site. This is assessed by reviewing expected vehicle dwell time, likely use cases, and linkages with key strategies and policies. For example, Park & Ride sites will need a combination of slow chargers, to serve drivers leaving their vehicles for several hours to work or shop in the city, and rapid chargers to support residents who cannot charge at home and transit journeys. Site Recommendations Site recommendations are mapped together with the number and type of chargepoints it is suggested that should be installed at each site. We recommend (i) numbers of active chargepoints to be provided in 2025 and (ii) passive charging capability to be made ready for 2030. Note this does not mean that ACC should fund and install all of these sites. Rather, this will be the suggested network coverage (number and distribution) needed to support accelerated EV uptake. The EV Framework sets out actions to be taken by other stakeholders to facilitate the development of this network. Number of Chargepoints at Each Hub Site infrastructure demand is estimated by modelling based on assumptions about typical annual mileage, battery sizes of current and future EVs and the likely number of vehicles of different specifications. A range of charging speeds (slow, standard, fast and rapid) for EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) is used so that the likely charging output by charger and sessions per day can be calculated. See the Appendix for further details of this breakdown. The methodology used to determine the number of chargepoints at each site is a top-down approach. It models the total power requirement needed to serve a given number of EVs and then disaggregates this across different sites. At ACC’s request we combined this with a bottom-up approach for selected sites (e.g. Park & Ride car parks). • The starting point is the forecasts for EVs registered in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire and these are set out later in this report. This data and the number of spaces in each car park is used to estimate use of each site by EVs. Current Park & Ride (P&R) utilisation levels are low and it is understood that ACC aims to increase utilisation of these assets. • EV owners with off-street parking will primarily charge their vehicles at home as costs will be lower. Homes without off-street parking represent approximately 40% of all domestic properties (UK city average) and so this factor is applied to the number of EVs. Charging at these sites should be designed to support drivers without off-street parking. • EV registrations will be modelled with the share of plug-in hybrids (PHEV) reducing over time and the share of pure battery electric vehicles (BEV) increasing30. • PHEVs will need to recharge every day, and BEVs will be recharged on average twice weekly. BEV battery capacities are expected to continue increasing, so their requirement for frequent charging events will reduce31. • The number of parking spaces at identified sites and the weighting factors described above are used to estimate the number of chargepoints required at each site. • These assumptions allow the estimation of the number of chargepoints required at each site.
30 Based on internal Cenex modelling (unpublished) 31 Based on an average PHEV electric-only range of 20 miles, average BEV range of 250 miles (based on a review of recently released vehicles such as the 2019 Nissan Leaf (range 240 miles) and the 2019 Kia Niro (range 280 miles); these will be six years old by the mid-point of this strategy and therefore representative of second hand vehicles on the market. New vehicles may have even longer ranges if customer demand requires), and national average daily mileage of 23 miles per day. We also assume BEV drivers will keep batteries topped up rather than running them almost to empty and then fully recharging. Based on internal Cenex modelling (unpublished).
• Sites should have a combination of 7kW, 22 kW and rapid chargepoints, depending on how long vehicles will be parked for. We used ACC’s Strategic Car Parking Review to determine vehicle dwell times and hence recommend an appropriate speed of charge point.
4.4 Residential On-Street Charging The EV Framework and this Evidence Base and Baseline Report focus on the provision of charging at rapid charging hubs and other off-street locations because the evidence suggests that it will be more feasible and cost-effective to provide this infrastructure in the short to medium term. Some on-street charging will be required to support EV adoption by households without off-street parking, and to ensure that costs are equitable. However, at this stage, there is significant uncertainty about the potential role of on-street charging, particularly as there is no business case for private sector operators to invest in infrastructure that may only provide charging to two vehicles per 24 hour period. A significant body of evidence suggests that in the short to medium term, EV uptake by private car owners in Aberdeen’s regeneration areas will be low, and therefore there is no case for significant investment in infrastructure, for the following reasons: • OLEV: early EV adopters are most commonly “middle-aged, male, well-educated, affluent, and live in urban areas with households containing two or more cars and with the ability to charge at home”32. • Zap-Map: over half of EV owners earn more than £50,000 per year. • The UK Office for National Statistics: those with degrees were more likely to consider buying an EV than those without, those with an annual income of more than £26,000 were 33% more likely to consider buying an EV than those earning less than £26,000 per year33.
Increased provision of EV car club vehicles could be an option to allow households in regeneration areas to access EVs, though further work would be required to understand travel needs and journey patterns, to ensure this does not reduce active travel and public transport trips. Geospatial data is freely available that can be used to map the demographics that the above research shows to be more favourable to early EV adoption. Using this data, areas that include a relatively higher proportion of early EV adopters can be identified. Locations are identified that are relatively more likely to benefit from on-street charging infrastructure using the factors and datasets shown in Table 4-2: Weightings attributed to factors in the residential charging index. Table 4-1: Factors considered within the residential charging index and the data sources used
Factor Dataset(s) used Vehicle ownership by household. Total population. Vehicle ownership Datasets combined to determine vehicles per person as a relative indicator of vehicle ownership. Method of commute, specifically number of people commuting either as a Vehicle usage car driver or passenger. Distance of commute. Number of households deprived on one or more dimension.
Affluence National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), specifically the number of people falling within NS-SEC categories 1 to 4, representing more advantaged groups.
Households by building type, specifically the number of detached and semi- Off-street parking availability detached houses (which have been considered to be more likely to have off- street parking).
32 UK Government Office for Low Emission Vehicles, 2015. Uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles in the UK. 33 UK Government Department for Transport, 2016. Public attitudes towards electric vehicles (revised).
All datasets were obtained from the UK Census 2011 and are valid down to the Medium Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) level. This means that findings can be mapped into zones with a mean population of 7,200 individuals. The factors in the table above were applied to MSOAs as follows: • Each MSOA is scored relatively for each factor, on a scale of -100 to 100, based on how it ranks against other output areas. This means an MSOA with the median value will score zero, an MSOA with the most favourable value will score 100 and an MSOA with the least favourable value will score -100. • The total score for each MSOA reflects its relative suitability for public residential charging infrastructure. A positive score shows that the area is more suited than average for public residential charging infrastructure and a negative score shows that the area is less suited than average for public residential charging infrastructure installation. • We developed a weighting for each factor listed in Table 4-1 by undertaking an internal project team exercise, drawing upon the expertise and experience of nine members of staff, with backgrounds in the transport sector, energy industry and local government. Each participant was asked to rank seven different demographic indicators in order of how important they believed those indicators were to identify areas where public residential charging was required. Once these rankings were collected, the scores for each indicator were added up to calculate a weighting value, proportional to how highly or lowly each factor was ranked. The results are shown in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2: Weightings attributed to factors in the residential charging index
Sum of Ranks Indicator Related Factor (low = higher Weighting priority) Method of commute Vehicle usage 36 88% Off-street parking availability Off-street parking availability 11 290% Annual earnings Affluence 34 94% Vehicle ownership rate Vehicle ownership 23 139% Daily mileage Vehicle usage 38 84% Deprivation Affluence 37 86% Population density Off-street parking availability 44 72%
The top 100 and top 200 sites resulting from this exercise are then mapped to show the potential best sites to trial residential on-street charging. Results are shown later in this report in Chapter 10. The top 100 and 200 sites are in line with potential ChargePoint locations which were recommended by stakeholders during stakeholder engagement demonstrated in section 5.2.1. Existing public car parks, park and ride sites, shopping centres and supermarkets, the beach boulevard, and educational establishments were popular amongst stakeholders and also comprised the majority of the top 100 and 200 sites.
5 Stakeholder Engagement 5.1 Introduction Consultation with key stakeholders was essential to inform the development of the EV Framework. Consultation targeted key stakeholders and the public with the aim of understanding their views on the barriers and opportunities for an Electric Vehicle Framework in Aberdeen. 5.2 Stakeholder Questionnaire An introductory email and questionnaire were sent to internal Aberdeen City Council stakeholders and external stakeholders in January 2020. Table 5-1 shows the stakeholders that were consulted and those who responded. Elected members were also consulted, and telephone interviews were carried out with a few key stakeholders. Table 5-1 Stakeholder Consultees and Responses
Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders
ACC Estates Team Aberdeenshire Council Transportation Strategy Team
ACC Energy Team NESTRANS
ACC Local Development Plan Team Electric Vehicle Association (Scotland)
ACC Road Safety and Traffic Management Team Aberdeen Inspired
ACC Parking and management of EV charge points Co-Wheels Car Club
ACC Road Development Team SSE
ACC Housing Strategy Team Transport Scotland
ACC Fleet NHS Grampian
ACC Hydrogen Team Energy Saving Trust
ACC Licensing Team Scotrail
ACC Air Quality Team Enterprise Car Club
ACC Transport Strategy & Programmes University of Aberdeen
ACC Environmental Policy Team North East Scotland College
First Bus
Stagecoach Bus
Grampian Chamber of Commerce
Federation of Small Businesses
Local freight contact
Disability Equality Partnership
Aberdeen Cycle Forum
Freight Transport Association
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Police
Road Haulage Association
Hammerson (own Union Square)
Union Square shopping centre
Grampian Cycle Partnership
British Property Federation
Petrol Retailers Association
Scottish Ambulance Service
Local Car Dealer
LEZ (Transport Scotland)
ChargePlace Scotland
BNCC Chair
Taxis
5.2.1 Themes Key themes identified from the responses include concern over the cost and availability of EV vehicles and associated infrastructure; the management of EV infrastructure in Aberdeen; the opportunity for collaboration with existing sustainable travel initiatives; and the need for communication with the public. These themes are explored in more detail in this section.
A summary of the barriers and opportunities identified is shown in Table 5-2.
Table 5-2: Barriers and Opportunities
Barriers Opportunities
• EV uptake by taxis, bus operators • Work with Car Club operators and promote the use of Car Clubs • Cost of EVs and charging infrastructure for ACC and • Low emission zone available to EVs for the user • Communications about the distance EVs can travel • Current availability of EV charging infrastructure and more generally the benefits of EVs • Lack of interoperability of EV charging infrastructure – • Training and employment opportunities in repair of need to allow accessible and equitable use for all EV EVs users • Business engagement • Flat dwellers and those people without a driveway or • Use existing public car parks as electric charging car parking space not able to access EV charging hubs or link to other transport modes/interchanges • Perceptions of poor EV range • Promote the location of charging points within the city • Lack of EV charging in Aberdeenshire via apps • Lack of EV mechanics • Clear signage throughout Aberdeen City and Shire • Use workplaces, supermarkets, shopping centres and car parks as EV charging hubs • Use Park & Ride sites as they are underused
• Use of school and public car parks for overnight residential charging • Offer multiple payment options: contactless, Apps, subscription, Pay-as-you-Go • Real-time information of the location and availability of chargers around Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to avoid queuing for chargers • Promotion of chargepoint finders such as Charge Place Scotland and Zap Map and online interactive maps • Offer different tariffs depending on the speed of the charger - could be set at a level covering the cost of the charge, installation and maintenance, and not for profit • Introduce time limits for use of charge points along with penalties for those who overstay the limits • ACC, public sector organisations and private sector organisations should all be responsible for providing EV charging infrastructure. ACC should be responsible for the leadership and provide incentives and encouragement for the private sector to invest • Work with H2 Aberdeen’ and the Low Emissions Zone, Powering Aberdeen City Sustainable Energy Action Plan, NESTRANS trial of e-cargo bikes, funding opportunities through the Energy Saving Trust and interact with NHS Grampian who are increasing the amount of charging points across its estate to deliver the EV Framework
Cost and Availability of EV Vehicles and Infrastructure Cost Barriers: Many stakeholders stated that they had concerns over the cost of EVs and charging infrastructure. As the initial cost of EVs is higher than a normal petrol/diesel vehicle and many citizens are not yet knowledgeable enough to understand the full benefits of EVs, stakeholders suggested that uptake will, therefore, not be significant. Once demand for EVs increases, or a second hand EV market is established, affordability will be less of an issue, however, as suggested by stakeholders, EVs are unaffordable for the average person in the UK. Some stakeholders thought it would be difficult to persuade the public to move towards EVs without large financial incentives and that it would require a large-scale communications campaign. For Aberdeen City Councillors in particular, there were concerns about budget availability to spend on EVs and infrastructure when the money needs to be spent on more ‘every day’ issues in Aberdeen. Opportunities: Given the concern about cost, opportunities identified by stakeholders included the potential uptake of EVs by local taxi companies and bus operators, and the promotion of the Co-Wheels Car Club which is expanding to expose citizens to the EV experience without the need for EV purchase. If successful, exposure has the added advantage of encouraging the public to car share and use public transport as an alternative to car ownership. Other financial incentives suggested by stakeholders included free car parking in Aberdeen city centre for EV users where petrol/diesel cars would be charged and use of the planned Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) by EVs to persuade people of the financial benefits. Availability Barriers: Stakeholders cited concerns over the current availability of charging infrastructure in Aberdeen, the amount of infrastructure that would need to be invested in, and the potential for ‘charging wars’ in which some EV chargers are not shared fairly between users if there is high demand which is likely to dissuade potential consumers. Furthermore, there is a particular concern among stakeholders that consideration should be given to the locations of charging points for flat dwellers, for those people who do not have a dedicated driveway or parking space at home, or more rural dwellers. It is likely that if EV charging infrastructure isn’t fairly available across society, uptake will be limited.
Restricted EV infrastructure also links to current perceptions of poor EV range preventing people from making long journeys in EVs. In particular, for larger service vehicles that are more likely to be travelling longer distances. Many stakeholders stated that there is a general perception among the public that smaller EVs can only travel short distances between chargers, and most believe you must fully charge a car to 100% before making a journey. Challenging and changing these perceptions is likely to rely on increased exposure to EV technology in everyday life. Aberdeen City has a relatively dense population of EV chargers, however Aberdeenshire in comparison does not. This is likely to be a barrier for citizens in more rural Aberdeenshire. The strategic placing of EV charge points in key locations in Aberdeenshire would need to be considered if uptake amongst those outside of the city is to increase. In addition, the availability of local mechanics skilled in maintaining and diagnosing issues with EVs is mentioned as a concern as at present it is difficult for EVs to be repaired due to lack of skills and knowledge in the area. However, this could also be seen as an opportunity to provide employment in the EV sector. Opportunities: One of the most commonly cited opportunities was educating and informing the population about EVs as it was considered that there isn’t much exposure to EVs in Aberdeen or through the local media. Exposure to EVs may come from methods such as a communications campaign, promotion and use of Co-Wheels Car Club, and use of EVs in local taxi firms and bus services. Exposure could ease uncertainty and help new users adjust their mindset away from the perception that the car should be fully charged with each charge. A ‘take what you need’ approach was suggested, based on the premise of a typical driver completing 20-30 miles daily, with a car capable of c.150 miles on a full charge. Other opportunities suggested by stakeholders included: engagement with local commercial businesses to identify where charging infrastructure would fall within daily routines of users; using existing public car parks as electric charging hubs or linking to other transport modes; providing more chargers in and around Aberdeen in well-considered locations; promotion of the location of charging points within the city via apps such as ZapMap; clear signage throughout Aberdeen City and Shire; and, promoting public transport as an alternative for longer journeys. Use of Existing Infrastructure Opportunities: The use of existing parking infrastructure in Aberdeen was mentioned by stakeholders as a significant opportunity. For instance, workplaces, supermarkets, shopping centres and car parks could all be used as EV charging hubs, reducing the additional space, street clutter and installation of home chargepoints that may otherwise be needed to charge EVs. This could also help to solve the issue of where chargepoints may be located for flat dwellers in cities. Stakeholders also suggested that EV charging hubs could be linked to other modes such as at bus stops, active travel hubs, and railway stations which may also increase multi modal travel. Park & Ride sites were mentioned frequently as an opportunity due to their current underuse, and EV charging could convert the car parks into more efficient space and encourage travel by EVs and public transport as an alternative to petrol/diesel cars. Linking to the concern of the location of charging points for those living in flats, the use of school and public car parks for overnight charging was cited as a good opportunity for residential charging. Table 5-3 provides a summary of the locations suggested for different charger types by stakeholders.
Table 5-3 (Suggested locations for chargepoints)
Charger Type Rapid Fast Slow
Petrol Stations Long stay car parks e.g. Retail parks Fast food take-away’s/drive Union Square, Bon Accord, throughs Supermarkets Greyfriars Council offices Public car parks Park & Ride sites Taxi ranks Multi storey car parks – Railway Station car parks council and private Workplaces Suggested Locations Supermarket car parks Residential developments Library car parks Residential Areas Office parking areas Public car parks Office parking areas Park & Ride sites Hospitals Hospitals Hospitals Colleges/Universities Colleges/Universities Colleges/Universities Main travel routes Parking by the beach
Slow chargers were regularly suggested for locations where people are likely to stop for a long time, such as shopping centres, at the beachfront, and at transport hubs like Park & Ride sites. This could also lead to other secondary economic benefits such as people supporting businesses in the area whilst waiting for their car to charge. Whereas fast and rapid chargers were commonly suggested for locations that would support EVs on longer journeys, for instance at petrol stations, supermarkets, and places of work. A number of potential key locations for EV charging infrastructure in Aberdeen were identified by one stakeholder and these included: TECA, Airport, Aberdeen leisure beach and retail park, Kittybrewster retail park, Berryden retail park, Bridge of Don retail park, Union Square, Trinity Centre, Bon Accord centre, RGU, University of Aberdeen, Council car parks, ARI, Woodend Hospital, Parks (Seaton, Hazelhead, Duthie, Westburn), Aberdeen Sports Village, Beach Leisure Centre/Ice Arena, Park & Ride sites, and Hotels.
Management of EV Infrastructure Barriers: There was concern amongst stakeholders over the ‘territorialism’ of charging points and a reliable and fair booking system. For instance, at present some companies such as Tesla will only allow Tesla vehicles to use their charging points which is promoting this ‘territorial’ charging behaviour, but charging should be accessible and equitable for all users. Opportunities: Contactless payment was suggested by almost all stakeholders who responded to the survey, given that many payments are now made by contactless card. Phone apps and membership to Chargepoint network apps to interface with the charging points were also suggested and could provide users with real- time information of the location and availability of chargers around Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, to avoid queuing for chargers. Promotion of chargepoint finders such as Charge Place Scotland and Zap Map along with online interactive maps could help make drivers more comfortable with the transition to EVs. Stakeholders also acknowledged the importance of providing both contactless payment and via an app membership for EV charging. If payment was only available through membership of a ChargePoint network this would disadvantage visitors and tourists who do not have membership. It may also be possible to design a system to allow for and encourage people to move their vehicle from high demand to low demand areas by making payment transferable. Some stakeholders considered that parking for EVs should be free or should at least be at minimal cost while there is a limited number of EVs in the city. It was acknowledged that free charging may increase the initial uptake of EVs in Aberdeen. Promoting new installations could be particularly beneficial where there is an opportunity to encourage users to spend money such as at local shopping centres.
However, the majority of stakeholders thought that charging should not be free as it is a type of fuel and the cost should be proportionate to the cost of electricity. Stakeholders were of the view that free charging is not a long-term solution. EVs are not wholly environmentally neutral and consumption should be managed through pricing.
Suggestions from stakeholders included different tariffs depending on the speed of the charger, which should be set at a level covering the cost of the charge, installation and maintenance, and not for profit. This would still be significantly cheaper than fuelling a car with petrol or diesel.
All stakeholders agreed that time limits for use of charge points should be introduced along with penalties for those who overstay the limits. This would be less practical for slow chargers but should be considered for rapid and fast chargers to ensure that there are chargers available for as many people as possible and to avoid dwell time reducing the convenience of using EVs. The length of stay at the charger should be priced in a similar way to standard parking, including a maximum stay time. To encourage uptake of EV use, it is essential for solutions to help the largest segment of the population who live in flats to be able to access overnight charging without a parking penalty. A potential option is to offer a session length of 45 minutes with a 10-minute grace window for overstay for rapid chargers, with the overstay fee being £1 per minute. For destination chargers, the overstay fee could only apply during the hours of a local traffic regulation order. For locations with more open restrictions, no charging session could be longer than 24 hours, and could be managed under local traffic enforcement. Management The majority (90%) of survey respondents believe that the council, public sector organisations, and private sector organisations should all be responsible for providing EV charging infrastructure, and this should also include housing developers for any new developments planned. There should not be one body solely responsible for the provision of infrastructure.
Most stakeholders suggest that the Council should be responsible for the leadership and provide incentives and encouragement for the private sector to invest. Large oil companies could also participate is they wish to be part of the energy transition by installing infrastructure for EV charging.
The Council will need to consider if and how on-street EV charging should be offered and how costs will be passed on to drivers, whilst public and private sector organisations should consider specific EV charging needs of their customers and users, and what level of provision is suitable. However, stakeholders acknowledge that a joined approach will be critical and to enable more EV uptake in the long run and to ensure there is capacity both electronically and geographically where appropriate.
There also needs to be consideration of whether benefits such as free parking will just apply only to ‘pure’ EVs or if hybrids and FCEVs will also benefit from the same system.
Collaboration with Sustainable Transport Initiatives H2 Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) were commonly cited amongst stakeholders as opportunities for collaboration with the EV Framework. H2 Aberdeen is Aberdeen City Region’s hydrogen strategy, outlining the key actions required over the next 10 years, including the use of hydrogen in transport as a key component of a low carbon energy system. In line with the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, and LEZ is planned to operate in the city centre. This was identified as the city’s Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) due to the volume of air quality exceedance compared to other regions throughout Aberdeen. These initiatives may help to support the uptake of EVs in Aberdeen, but this will require effective communication with the public, as at the moment it is considered that there is a lack of information on the LEZ. Allowing EVs to access the LEZ would help to bring general awareness to the issues associated with standard petrol cars and may be able to incorporate EV infrastructure into the plans. In addition, there are plans to roll out a ‘hydrogen’ valley concept in which a large electrolyser, producing significant amounts of green hydrogen on a commercially viable basis, will be installed. Collaboration between H2 and the EV Framework to ensure joint outcomes could help to promote more sustainable travel in and around Aberdeen.
Other potential collaboration opportunities that were mentioned were the Powering Aberdeen City Sustainable Energy Action Plan, NESTRANS’ trial of E-cargo bikes, funding opportunities through the Energy Saving Trust and with NHS Grampian. Of those who responded, 67% of stakeholder organisations owned EVs and many have plans to increase their fleets. For those who don’t currently own any EVs, the Co-Wheels Car Club was cited multiple times as either an existing partnership (e.g. Union Square) or well used by their members/staff. The Car Club is prominent in Aberdeen and being expanded as part of H2 Aberdeen. It could be an effective partner to the EV framework, helping to encourage car sharing to reduce congestion. Aberdeen City Council already uses both EVs and hydrogen fuel vehicles via the Co-wheels Car Club. To enhance the promotion of a car club fleet in Aberdeen, an alternative approach may include a model such as Car2Go, where parking is not restricted to specific bays and charging infrastructure which is dedicated to those vehicles at strategic locations. The promotion of the Car Club and perhaps use of EVs among taxi fleets would help to promote car sharing as an alternative to owning a private vehicle and expose more residents of Aberdeen to EV technology.
5.3 Public Survey An online survey was also made available by Aberdeen City Council on its website in January 2020. There were 237 responses. The survey aimed to understand the current use of EVs and charging infrastructure in Aberdeen, the public’s perception of EVs, and any barriers and opportunities to the use of EVs in Aberdeen. A summary of the main findings is provided below. 5.3.1 Summary Survey respondents’ attitudes towards EVs was positive; over half of the survey respondents already owned an EV or had access to one and over one third of respondents would like to have access to one. In relation to chargepoints, it was found that the top priorities were location, speed of charge and the cost of charging and this is closely aligned to feedback from stakeholders. Respondents suggested that ‘at home’ and ‘at destination’ charge points would be preferred, particularly in places where people would park for hours at a time. This suggests that slow chargers may be preferred over rapid chargers. However, the types of chargers that are currently most commonly used by the public, apart from home chargers, are rapid and fast public chargers. When asked what would encourage them to use an EV in terms of charging infrastructure, survey respondents suggested that workplaces were the most popular location for chargepoints, multiple charge points are desirable, public charge points which cost less than re-fuelling a standard car, and contactless payment is preferred over the ability to join an EV ChargePoint network provider. Other incentives which would encourage people to use EVs included a reduction in the cost of EVs, information about the benefits of using EVs, including real-life examples and opportunities to trial driving and EV.
5.4 Conclusion Feedback from stakeholders and members of the public identified a number of barriers to increasing the use of EVs. However, more opportunities than barriers were identified, indicating that there are multiple ways in which these barriers could be addressed. It is clear that this should not be the sole responsibility of ACC and that various organisations can play a role in delivering the EV Framework with ACC providing leadership and strategic oversight and involving the relevant organisations and other ACC initiatives in the delivery of the framework. Access for all to EVs was seen as essential and there were concerns about enabling access to flat dwellers and people living in more rural areas. The role of Car Clubs, taxis and public transport was seen as vital to ensuring equitable access. The use of existing car parks was mentioned as a significant opportunity and multiple locations were suggested. The preference is for free parking for EVs; however, it was considered that the use of EV charging should be paid for and there should be a variety of payment options that are easy to use. Time limits and penalties should be introduced similar to the current parking system for non-EVs.
Effective communications about the benefits of EVs and sharing information about the type of vehicles available and how the charging infrastructure works will be important to encourage people to change to using EVs.
6 Baseline of Vehicles and Infrastructure 6.1 Vehicles Registered in the Region All vehicles registered in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire have been analysed to establish a baseline position from which EV uptake scenarios can be developed. All vehicles within the region have been considered, not just passenger cars and LGVs, to give a true baseline of emissions in the region. This section follows the methodology outlined in section 4.1. 6.1.1 Aberdeen City Figure 6-1 illustrates the current composition of registered vehicles by vehicle type across Aberdeen City. The chart shows that cars are by far the most common vehicle type in the city, followed by LGVs. The category of Registered EVs refers to plug-in vehicles34. Taxis have been included in the number of cars.
Figure 6-1: Total vehicles in the city by vehicle type
Figure 6-2 shows a further breakdown of the registered vehicles in the city by vehicle and fuel type, revealing that there are more petrol passenger cars than diesel on the roads. HGVs have been split into rigid vehicles (cab and trailer are fixed), artic vehicles (cab and trailer are separate) and non-goods vehicles (modified HGVs for a specific role e.g. refuse collection vehicles, dumper trucks, cement mixers).
34 A public service vehicles means a motor vehicle (other than a tramcar) which (a) being a vehicle adapted to carry more than eight passengers, is used for carrying passengers for hire or reward; or (b) being a vehicle not so adapted, is used for carrying passengers for hire or reward at separate fares in the course of a business of carrying passengers.
Figure 6-2: Total vehicles in the city by vehicle type and fuel35
Figure 6-3 breaks down the total vehicles in the city by Euro emissions standards. The cleanest vehicles – those which meet the Euro 6/VI standard – are only the third most common type of vehicle in the city. Registered vehicles in the city are dominated by Euro 5/V and 4/IV vehicles, which are significantly more polluting, particularly in terms of NOx emissions. This data does not include BEVs (as they produce zero tailpipe emissions and therefore do not fall within the European emissions standards regime), but does include PHEVs; these are split between Euro 5 and Euro 6 dependant on their registration date.
Figure 6-3: Total vehicles in the city by Euro emission standard
35 BEV and PHEV cars are in the cars section of the graph. There are no EV or PHEV LGVs therefore there is no column for them on the graph.
6.1.2 Aberdeenshire Figure 6-4 illustrates the current composition of registered vehicles by vehicle type across the Aberdeenshire Council area. The chart shows that cars are by far the most common vehicle type in the area, followed by LGVs. The category Registered EVs includes both cars and LGVs combined (531 cars, 40 LGVs).
Figure 6-4: Total vehicles in the Aberdeenshire Council area by vehicle type
Figure 6-5 shows a further breakdown of the registered vehicles in the Aberdeenshire Council area by vehicle and fuel type, revealing that there are slightly more petrol passenger cars than diesel on the roads. HGVs have been split into rigid vehicles (cab and trailer are fixed), artic vehicles (cab and trailer are separate) and non-goods vehicles (modified HGVs for a specific role e.g. refuse collection vehicles, dumper trucks, cement mixers).
Figure 6-5: Total vehicles in the region by vehicle type and fuel
Figure 6-6 breaks down the total vehicles in the Aberdeenshire Council area by Euro emissions standards. The cleanest vehicles – those which meet the Euro 6/VI standard – are only the third most common type of vehicle in the area. Registered vehicles in the area are dominated by Euro 5/V and 4/IV vehicles, which are
significantly more polluting, particularly in terms of NOx emissions. BEVs are not included in this figure however PHEVs are and are split between Euro 5 and Euro 6 dependant on their registration date.
Figure 6-6: Total vehicles in the Aberdeenshire Council area by Euro emission standard
6.1.3 Comparison There are some clear differences between the vehicle composition in the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Local Authority areas as illustrated in Figure 6-7 below. In Aberdeenshire there is a larger percentage of diesel cars and LGVs. This can be attributed to the fact this area is more rural and it is likely that owners of these vehicles cover higher annual mileages than those in Aberdeen City. This will influence the decision to purchase vehicles with a higher mpg, typically achieved by diesel vehicles. In Aberdeen City there is a higher proportion of public service vehicles. This is due to the higher population density of Aberdeen City compared to Aberdeenshire, making public transport services more financially viable.
Figure 6-7: Local authority comparison between Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
6.1.4 EV Uptake Table 6-1 gives a breakdown of the total number of passenger cars and LGVs, the number of EVs within these vehicle categories, and the proportion of the vehicles that are EV. Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire local authorities rank highly in Scotland for plug-in vehicle uptake, at 9th and 12th respectively. However, EV uptake rates in both authorities are below the UK average of 0.51%. Surprisingly there is little difference in the uptake rate of EVs between Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire despite the difference in vehicle duty cycles and infrastructure provision across the two local authority areas. Table 6-1: EV Uptake in Scottish Local Authorities. Outliers are labelled in red.
Total Cars & LGVs EVs ULEV % Rank
Aberdeen City 103,147 382 0.37% 9
Aberdeenshire 167,250 571 0.34% 12
Angus 66,872 219 0.33% 13
Argyll and Bute 50,242 152 0.30% 15
City of Edinburgh 189,526 884 0.47% 6
Clackmannanshire 28,436 75 0.26% 20
Dumfries and Galloway 89,079 167 0.19% 30
Dundee City 60,723 347 0.57% 4
East Ayrshire 63,558 139 0.22% 23
East Dunbartonshire 58,802 176 0.30% 17
East Lothian 57,022 214 0.38% 8
East Renfrewshire 50,456 275 0.55% 5
Falkirk 87,577 170 0.19% 28
Fife 198,178 597 0.30% 16
Glasgow City 225,724 543 0.24% 22
Highland 140,577 306 0.22% 24
Inverclyde 36,653 72 0.20% 26
Midlothian 48,597 170 0.35% 10
Moray 54,793 103 0.19% 29
Na h-Eileanan Siar 16,613 25 0.15% 32
North Ayrshire 67,966 132 0.19% 27
North Lanarkshire 165,414 299 0.18% 31
Orkney Islands 14,037 221 1.57% 1
Perth and Kinross 87,960 357 0.41% 7
Renfrewshire 134,047 2,053 1.53% 2
Scottish Borders 69,648 242 0.35% 11
Shetland Islands 14,762 46 0.31% 14
South Ayrshire 61,467 151 0.25% 21
South Lanarkshire 166,348 451 0.27% 19
Stirling 66,496 960 1.44% 3
West Dunbartonshire 42,601 86 0.20% 25
West Lothian 97,909 270 0.28% 18
Within their administrative areas, three local authorities have either a significantly greater number of EVs as a proportion of all vehicles or significantly more EVs registered in total. The Orkney Islands have a large number of EVs registered as a percentage of all vehicles. This area has the lowest number of total registered vehicles whilst also having 221 EVs registered, largely related to local EV innovation projects (e.g. ReFLEX, which aims to deploy 600 EVs36). The high number of EVs registered in Renfrewshire (2,053) is linked to the presence of the Arnold Clark vehicle leasing group’s head office. The explanation for the number of EV’s registered in Stirling (960) cannot be determined in this study but is likely to be the result of a large number of EVs being owned by leasing companies, dealerships and/or fleets. The public and stakeholder consultation results suggested that one of the largest barriers to the adoption of EVs is the higher capital cost compared to conventional petrol and diesel cars. As such, household income is often positively correlated with EV uptake rates. Figure 6-9 shows the EV uptake % vs the mean wage of Scottish local authorities and the UK average, with aforementioned outliers removed. Note also that average wage data is not available for Orkney Islands or North Ayrshire, therefore there are only 30 local authorities displayed on the chart. Relative to wage, both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire sit on the trend line of Scottish local authorities for EV uptake. However, EV adoption is lower than the UK average.
Figure 6-8: EV uptake vs mean wage, Scottish local authorities. Average earnings data is not available for North Ayrshire or Orkney Islands.
36 European Marine Energy Centre, 2019. Energy system of the future to be demonstrated in Orkney, accessed 30/04/2020
Figure 6-9: EV uptake vs mean wage, Scottish local authorities. Average earnings data is not available for North Ayrshire or Orkney Islands. Datapoints from Renfrewshire and Stirling have been omitted as outliers.
6.2 Emissions Using the data from section 6.1 along with duty cycle, annual mileage and emissions data, we have estimated transport related emissions for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. The methodology and all references are outlined in section 4.1. 6.2.1 Aberdeen City Table shows a breakdown of road transport emissions in Aberdeen City in 2019. This is illustrated in Figure 6-10. Table 6-2: 2019 emission values from road transport in Aberdeen City
2019 Emissions Values
Cars HGVs Public
BEV & Motorbikes LGVs Service Total Petrol Diesel Rigids Artics Non-goods PHEV Vehicles
CO2 ('000s tonnes) 126 91 0 2 52 15 21 5 6 318
NOx (tonnes) 41 282 0 4 170 47 102 22 84 751
PM (tonnes) 0.9 10.5 0.0 0.2 4.4 0.9 1.9 0.5 1.5 20.7
% of CO2 total emissions 39.5% 28.5% 0.1% 0.6% 16.5% 4.6% 6.5% 1.6% 2.0% 100%
% of NOx total emissions 5.5% 37.5% 0.0% 0.5% 22.6% 6.3% 13.5% 3.0% 11.2% 100%
% of PM total emissions 4.3% 50.9% 0.0% 0.9% 21.0% 4.2% 9.0% 2.4% 7.2% 100%
Figure 6-10: Vehicle types and associated emission contributions in Aberdeen City
6.2.2 Aberdeenshire Table 6-3 shows a breakdown of road transport emissions in the Aberdeenshire Local Authority Area in 2019. This is illustrated in Figure 6-11.
Table 6-3: 2019 emission values from road transport in Aberdeenshire
2019 Emissions Values
Cars HGVs Public
BEV & Motorbikes LGVs Service Total Petrol Diesel Rigids Artics Non-goods PHEV Vehicles
CO2 ('000s tonnes) 152 193 1 3 133 36 51 13 7 589
NOx (tonnes) 50 602 0 7 430 116 250 55 95 1,603
PM (tonnes) 1.1 22.5 0.0 0.3 11.1 2.1 4.6 1.2 1.7 44.6
% of CO2 total emissions 25.8% 32.8% 0.1% 0.6% 22.6% 6.1% 8.7% 2.1% 1.2% 100%
% of NOx total emissions 3.1% 37.5% 0.0% 0.4% 26.8% 7.2% 15.6% 3.4% 5.9% 100%
% of PM total emissions 2.4% 50.4% 0.0% 0.7% 24.8% 4.8% 10.3% 2.8% 3.8% 100%
Figure 6-11: Vehicle types and associated emission contributions in Aberdeenshire
6.2.3 Analysis and Comparison Cars clearly dominate in both local authority areas, producing the largest quantities of all three emissions. On an individual vehicle basis, cars have much lower emissions (particularly CO2) than other vehicle types. LGVs, public service vehicles and HGVs have disproportionately high levels of emissions in comparison to the number of vehicles on the road, due to the high emissions from individual vehicles, the fact that there are more Euro 3 LGVs than Euro 6, and the lack of CO2 emissions standards for HGVs. While public service vehicles contribute higher emissions per vehicles mile, it should be noted that per passenger, public service vehicles have lower emissions than cars and LGVs. In addition, there are relatively clear technology and policy pathways for cars to shift to plug-in alternatives, which means car emissions should reduce relatively quickly over the next two decades. However, cutting emissions from freight and public service vehicles will be more challenging because of uncertainty over technology pathways, lack of clear policy guidance and the slow turnover rate of these vehicles. The emissions presented here are for vehicles registered in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire only and do not take into account vehicles that are not registered in the region. It is likely that car, LGV, motorbike and public service vehicle emissions in the region will balance out between vehicles registered in the region and not. However, for HGVs there could be considerably higher emissions present due to vehicles not registered in the region arriving to pick-up freight arriving at the port in Aberdeen. In 2017, 4.1 million tonnes of freight goods were moved through the port of Aberdeen37, the sixth highest of any Scottish port. 6.3 Infrastructure ACC provided EV charging infrastructure data and locations for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire for units installed by both local authorities on the Charge Place Scotland network. This data has been analysed and split into two distinct sections: mapping and utilisation. All chargepoints analysed are public chargepoints. Non-public chargepoints installed at businesses and homes are not included in the analysis because there are no easily accessible records for these units. Table compares Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire chargepoint socket provisions with Scotland38. Cells highlighted in red indicate worse performing areas than the Scotland average, and green indicates better
37 Scottish Transport Statistics, 2018, Table 9.6 38 Data is triangulated from ChargePlace Scotland data supplied by ACC, Zap-Map.com and the National Chargepoint Registry
performance. Although the two local authorities have performed well in terms of EV uptake, the number of chargepoints provided is below the Scottish average in almost all metrics analysed. Table 6-4: Comparison of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire's chargepoint provision compared to Scotland average
Plug-in Vehicles No. of People per People vehicles per per chargepoint Population chargepoint per plug- chargepoint chargepoint sockets socket in vehicle socket socket Aberdeen City 106 222,793 2,102 583 3.60 973 Aberdeenshire 121 252,973 2,091 443 4.72 1,382 Scotland 3,585 5,404,700 1,508 498 3.03 776
6.3.1 Mapping and Provision Analysis Maps of existing EV charging infrastructure locations across the study area are shown in Figure 6-12:, Figure 6-13: and Figure 6-14:. Charging locations were provided by ACC and cross-referenced with the National Chargepoint Registry and Zap-Map to ensure all public chargepoints were captured. Figure 6-12: shows rapid chargepoints are concentrated on major road networks with fast and slow chargers primarily within the city centre and residential areas.
Figure 6-12: EV charging infrastructure in Aberdeen City - Charge type
Figure 6-13: below shows the same chargepoints in Aberdeen City split into user type (i.e. who has access to the chargepoints), as well as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs), regeneration areas and key sites. Chargepoints available for public use, shown in blue and green, are well spread out throughout the city with good coverage in residential areas. Car Club chargepoints, shown in green and purple, are located primarily near the city centre, likely due to the high flow of people and ease of accessibility to this service, and likewise amenities. Fleet only chargepoints are only present at a few locations throughout the city and are all at either council facility car parks or colleges.
Figure 6-13: EV charging infrastructure in Aberdeen City - User type and Key Sites
Figure 6-14: below shows the chargepoints in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. The chargepoints in Aberdeenshire are evenly spread out with a few major towns on the coast having multiple chargepoints. Rapid chargers are primarily located on major road networks in and out of the area with 7 kW and 22 kW chargers primarily present at final destinations (for example at rental holiday homes and libraries), car parks and industrial estates.
Figure 6-14: EV charging infrastructure in Aberdeenshire - Charge type
6.3.2 Chargepoint Utilisation Analysis We have analysed the data provided by ACC on over 50 chargepoints (over 100 sockets) for 12 months has been analysed to identify key trends. Note that the data is only for chargepoints that ACC has installed – as these are the only ones ACC has data for. Therefore, it does not include all charge points in Aberdeen. This dataset included publicly available chargepoints, plus car club, fleet and non-public chargepoints. Figure 6-15 shows high level data from the Aberdeen chargepoints displaying number of charging events, total time vehicles are plugged-in and total time charging. It is important to distinguish between the total time charging and total time plugged in. The difference between these values indicates wasted opportunity for other vehicles to charge. When a vehicle that is plugged-in is fully charged, this occupies a charger that someone else could be using.
Per charging event, the total time plugged-in is reduced as charger power increases. The 50 kW charger has the lowest ratio of time plugged-in to total time charging which indicates that users of these chargers un-plug their vehicle more punctually after reaching full charge than users of 22 kW and 7 kW chargers. This is likely due to the difference in use case of these chargers; 50 kW chargepoint are often used for quick top-up charges in transit, whereas 22 kW and 7 kW chargepoint are often used for full day parking during work or whilst shopping. Charge point data - Aberdeen Charging events (number) Total time plugged in (hours) Total time charging (hours) 50,000 45,990 45,000
40,000
35,000 31,192 30,000
25,000
20,000 18,368
15,000 13,146 9,233 10,000 5,753 6,011 4,159 4,140 5,000
- 7kW 22kW Rapid (43/50kW)
Figure 6-15: Chargepoint data for Aberdeen in 2019
Figure 6-16 shows the total energy delivered by each charger type. Though the total charging time for 50 kW chargers is lower than other types (4,140 hours), as it delivers charge at a much faster rate, these chargers account for 61% of all electricity delivered.
Total kWh of charge delivered annually
42,079 kWh 12% 7kW
22kW 91,493 kWh 27% 207,008 kWh 61% Rapid (43/50kW)
Figure 6-16: Charge delivered in 2019 by charger type
Figure 6-17 shows the percentage of time spent charging a vehicle whilst it is plugged-in vs the annual charge delivered (in kWh). This is displayed for each individual chargepoint and broken down into the three charge rates: 7 kW, 22 kW, and 50kW. The 50 kW chargers deliver a large amount of energy annually compared to the slower chargers, with the vehicles spending a high % of time charging whilst plugged-in (20% and above). Conversely, the 7 and 22
kW chargers spend less time charging when a vehicle is plugged-in and deliver less energy throughout the year. This means that vehicles using the 7 and 22 kW chargepoints are plugged-in for long periods of the day not charging (as they are already at full charge). It is likely that these chargepoints are being used during work hours and giving a higher utilisation for 7 kW chargers, as these take longer to charge a vehicle than a 22 kW charger. However, this figure may be skewed slightly by the Car Club cars. Members are encouraged to always plug the car back in after use so, depending on how often the car is used, it might stay plugged in for a long time, even when fully charged.
Charging time utilisation vs annual charge delivered in Aberdeen 7kW 22kW Rapid (43/50kW) 35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000 Annual Annual charge delivered (kWh) 0 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% % of time spent charging whilst plugged in
Figure 6-17: Utilisation of Aberdeen chargepoints by charge rate
An example of poor utilisation of chargepoints can be seen in Figure 6-18 which shows the arrival and departure times at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary 22 kW chargepoint. The majority of vehicles plug in at 08:00 and unplug at 17:00, a typical working day. At a charge rate of 22 kW, charging a vehicle from 10% charge to 100% would take fewer than three hours for the largest EV battery on the market, and thus be fully charged by 11:00. After this time the vehicle is occupying a chargepoint it no longer needs preventing others from using it. There is significant scope to improve the utilisation of this chargepoint through better management or through changing the charge rating. This is discussed further in Section 11: Network Operating Models.
Time of day EVs arrived and departed at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary - 22 kW Charger 40%
35% Arrivals
30% Departures
25%
20%
15% Frequency
10%
5%
0%
01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00
Time of day Figure 6-18: Arrival and departure times at the 22 kW chargepoint at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
ACC provided user restrictions for each chargepoint it has installed. These were broken down into four categories: fleet, public, public/car club, and car club. Figure 6-19 shows the chargepoint utilisation data split by user type rather than charge rate. Public chargepoints are the best utilised, with a high percentage of charging during the time a vehicle is plugged-in, meaning that vehicles are not left plugged-in whilst fully charged. Public/car club and car club only sites have a much lower utilisation than public chargepoints while fleet only chargepoints have a large variance in utilisation with a range of 3% to 33%.
Charging time utilisation vs charge delivered in Aberdeen Fleet Public Public/Car Club Car Club 35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000 Annual Annual charge delivered (kWh) 0 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% % of time spent charging whilst plugged-in
Figure 6-19: Utilisation of Aberdeen chargepoints by user
6.4 Charging Infrastructure Commitments Aberdeen City Council has already made the following commitments with regard to EV infrastructure within the local authority boundary: • ACC have received funding from Transport Scotland to deliver 3 rapid triple chargers and 4 double fast chargers in Aberdeen by the end of March 2021. ACC’s preference is to locate all of the chargepoints together to create a charging hub at Frederick Street car park. • From the 1st of May 2020 all chargepoints on the Chargeplace Scotland network will charge users £0.19 per kWh and will have a connection fee of £0.38. Parking fees may still apply at some sites. Further discussion of tariffs is provided later in this report.
7 Aim and Objectives of the EV Framework 7.2 Aim The aim of the EV Framework is to provide a framework, informed by a comprehensive evidence base, that will allow Aberdeen to ensure it encourages and actively caters for a greater uptake of electric vehicles in the city. 7.3 Objectives The specific objectives are to: • Identify how the city’s recharging infrastructure should be enhanced and managed • Ensure that policies and strategies facilitate a greater uptake of EVs • Identify what supporting measures are required • Identify the key groups that should be involved • Identify what costs are involved
8 Vehicle and Emissions Forecasting 8.1 Composition of Vehicles in the Region The following scenarios were evaluated: 1. Business-as-usual (BAU): Assumes no change to policy; forecasts are extrapolated from current registration trends as analysed in the previous section. 2. Good practice: In line with the DfT Road to Zero medium scenario which aims for 50% of new registrations to be plug-in vehicles by 2030. 3. Exemplar: In line with the Scottish Government’s aim for 100% of new sales to be plug-in vehicles by 2032. The BAU scenario is likely to underestimate the number of EVs which would be added to the road without policies or incentives. However, it is a good baseline to illustrate the scale of change that will be required to achieve the other two scenarios. 8.2 Local Authority Area 8.2.1 Aberdeen City Table and Figure 8-1 show the three uptake scenarios for Aberdeen through to 2030, including a breakdown of EVs into BEVs and PHEVs. Data is presented for the number of vehicles on the road and the % composition of all vehicles. Table 8-1: Aberdeen City EV uptake
2025 2030 % of % of Total Total vehicles vehicles BEV 840 0.8% 1,920 1.7% BAU PHEV 730 0.7% 1,030 0.9%
Total 1,570 1.5% 2,950 2.6%
BEV 2,350 2.3% 8,970 8.0% Good PHEV 2,060 2.0% 4,830 4.2% Practice
Aberdeen Total 4,410 4.3% 13,800 12.2% BEV 3,010 2.9% 12,910 11.4% Exemplar PHEV 2,630 2.5% 6,950 6.2% Total 5,640 5.4% 19,860 17.6%
Reaching 17.6% of vehicles being plug-in by 2030 may seem to be a modest target that will not ensure a net zero transport system by 2045. However, it is important to remember that the Exemplar scenario is in line with the Scottish Government’s aim for the phase out the sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032. This would be in line with achieving the phase out of petrol and diesel vehicles on the road by 2045. It should also be recognised that achieving a 17.6% market penetration rate is a very ambitious target; for comparison, the good practice scenario, which would achieve 12.2%, would still require significant action, including additional charging infrastructure and supporting measures. A target that goes over and above the Exemplar scenario is not recommended.
Figure 8-1: Aberdeen City EV uptake 8.2.2 Aberdeenshire Table and Figure 8-2 show similar uptake figures for Aberdeenshire. The slight difference in the proportion of all vehicles represented by EVs is due to the higher baseline of EVs in Aberdeen, as shown in Table . Table 8-2: Aberdeenshire EV uptake
2025 2030 Total % of vehicles Total % of vehicles BAU BEV 1,250 0.8% 2,870 1.6% PHEV 1,100 0.7% 1,540 0.9%
Total 2,350 1.5% 4,410 2.5% Good Practice BEV 3,510 2.2% 13,410 7.7% PHEV 3,070 1.9% 7,220 4.2% Total 6,580 4.1% 20,630 11.9%
Aberdeenshire Exemplar BEV 4,490 2.8% 19,300 11.2% PHEV 3,930 2.4% 10,390 6.0% Total 8,420 5.2% 29,690 17.2%
Aberdeenshire Plug-in Vehicle % of total vehicles BAU Good Practice Exemplar 20% 17.2% 18% 16% 14% 11.9% 12% 10%
8% Total Vehicles (%) Vehicles Total 6% 4% 2.5% 2% 0% 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Figure 8-2: Aberdeenshire EV uptake
8.3 Emissions 8.3.1 Aberdeen City Table 8-3 shows the emission values for the three scenarios and the 2019 baseline values which were calculated earlier and displayed in section 6.2. As older vehicles on the road are replaced with new cleaner vehicles the NOx and PM emissions will significantly reduce in all three scenarios. However, in the BAU scenario CO2 emissions increase due to the total vehicles in the city growing by an estimated 20% by 2030 (based on DfT forecasts for growth in vehicle miles travelled in the UK 39)40, and a shift from diesel to petrol vehicles (which produce more CO2 per km). This illustrates the importance of ACC aiming for the Good Practice or, ideally, Exemplar scenario, to ensure that the change to EVs outweighs the expected increase in size of the registered vehicles in the city. Figure shows this data as a % change for each scenario compared to the 2019 baseline. Table 8-3: Emissions values for Aberdeen City in 2019 and 2030
CO2 NOx PM (thousand tonnes) (tonnes) (tonnes) 2019 - Baseline 269 492 15.8 2030 - BAU 271 322 6.88 2030 - Good Practice 251 292 6.25 2030 - Exemplar 234 216 4.55
39 https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/transport/POST-briefing-on-peak-car.pdf 40 It is possible that car use will decrease in the future, but latest UK Government forecasts predict an increase; these are used in this report for consistency with data sources on EV registrations.
2030 Forecast Emissions Reduction vs 2019 for Cars and LGVs 2030 - BAU 2030 - Good Practice 2030 - Exemplar 100% 90%
80% 71.2% 70% 60.4% 60% 56.2% 56.4% 50% 40.7% 40% 34.6% 30%
20% 13.1% % Reduction % Reduction from2019 10% 6.9% -0.6% 0% CO2 NOx PM -10%
Figure 8-3: 2030 emissions reduction vs 2019 in Aberdeen City for cars and LGVs
UK Government damage costs for each emission have been applied to the scenarios to monetise the 41 42 43 estimated social benefits (sources: CO2 , NOx , PM ). Damage costs allow the negative impacts of emissions to be converted into economic impacts using a set of impact values defined per mass of emission by pollutant. For more detail on the damage cost methodology please refer to Defra’s Air Quality Damage Cost Guidance44. The results are displayed below in Table 8-4. It is beyond the scope of this framework to undertake a detailed air quality damage cost assessment. However, these estimates show that the monetised social benefits of reducing emissions through EV uptake can be significant. These results are indicative as they use average damage cost values; true values depend on factors such as whether emissions occur in an urban or rural location. Therefore, a scheme which reduces emissions in Aberdeen will have a greater monetary value than a similar scheme in Aberdeenshire. More detailed appraisals should be undertaken as part of a business case analysis to support investment in targeted local measures to promote EV uptake. Table 8-4: Annual costs mitigated in 2030 in Aberdeen City
Costs mitigated annually in 2030
CO2 Cost Saving NOx Cost Saving PM Cost Saving Total
2030 - BAU -£167,000 £3,100,000 £2,073,000 £5,006,000 2030 - Good Practice £1,939,000 £3,649,000 £2,220,000 £7,808,000 2030 - Exemplar £3,696,000 £5,037,000 £2,616,000 £11,349,000
8.3.2 Aberdeenshire The same analysis was performed for Aberdeenshire and the results are displayed in Table and Figure . The results are very similar to Aberdeen city in terms of emissions reductions vs the 2019 baseline and again highlight the need to target either the Good Practice or Exemplar scenario.
41 £0.105 per kg in 2030, DfT WebTag table A3.4 – Non traded values of CO2e 42£18.20 per kg in 2030, DfT WebTag table A3.2 – Damage cost values by pollutant 43£232.73 per kg in 2030, DfT WebTag table A3.2 – Damage cost values by pollutant 44 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assess-the-impact-of-air-quality/air-quality-appraisal-damage-cost- guidance
Table 8-5: Emissions values for Aberdeenshire in 2019 and 2030
CO2 NOx PM (thousand tonnes) (tonnes) (tonnes) 2019 - Baseline 479 1,080 34.6 2030 - BAU 473 691 14.2 2030 - Good Practice 437 626 12.9 2030 - Exemplar 409 499 10.1
2030 Forecast Emissions Reduction vs 2019 for Cars and LGVs 2030 - BAU 2030 - Good Practice 2030 - Exemplar 100% 90% 80% 70.8% 70% 62.7% 59.0% 60% 53.9% 50% 42.1% 40% 36.1% 30% 20% 14.7% % Reduction % Reduction from2019 8.8% 10% 1.3% 0% CO2 NOx PM Figure 8-4: 2030 emissions reduction vs 2019 in Aberdeenshire for cars and LGVs
Table 8-6 shows the results of the damage cost mitigation analysis. Table 8-6: Annual costs mitigated in 2030 in Aberdeenshire
Costs mitigated annually in 2030
CO2 Cost Saving NOx Cost Saving PM Cost Saving Total
2030 - BAU £670,000 £7,109,000 £4,751,000 £12,530,000 2030 - Good Practice £4,405,000 £8,296,000 £5,057,000 £17,758,000 2030 - Exemplar £7,341,000 £10,600,000 £5,706,000 £23,647,000
9 Infrastructure Requirements: Residents, Visitors, Commuters & Transit 9.1 EV Charging for Residents We have used the infrastructure demand methodology outlined in Section 4.3 to estimate the total number (including existing infrastructure) and types of chargepoints required for each EV uptake scenario. This analysis has been undertaken for Aberdeen City only and the results are displayed in Table and Figure 9-1. Figures displayed are for the total number of chargepoints, including those already installed. It is assumed that all chargepoints will have two chargepoint sockets for charging and so the number of sockets required will be double the amount of chargepoint locations. Table 9-1: Required chargepoint infrastructure for Aberdeen City
Number of chargepoint locations - Total 2025 2030
Good Good BAU Exemplar BAU Exemplar Practice Practice 7kW 11 30 37 13 62 89 22kW 8 21 26 13 61 87 50kW+ 9 22 28 14 63 90 Total 28 73 91 40 186 266
Total number of chargers for plug-in passenger cars & LGVs 7kW 22kW 50kW+ 300 266
250
200 186
150
91 100 73
40 50 28
0 BAU Good Practice Exemplar BAU Good Practice Exemplar 2025 2030
Figure 9-1: Required chargepoint infrastructure for Aberdeen City
The estimates show that rapid chargers will account for 65-70% of all charging events, 22kW for 20-25% and 7kW for 10% of all charging events. Due to the slow speed of the 7kW chargers, a relatively large number of these units are required to provide a small share of demand. It could also be possible to provide the required amount of charging with fewer rapid chargers and more 7 kW chargers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. • Rapid or ultra-rapid charging at a hub location offers a user experience which is similar to refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle. However, it is usually more expensive for the end-user than slow charging, and this trend is forecast to continue. Over-reliance on rapid charging hubs could create inequality between households with off-street parking and those without.
• The slower the chargepoint, the fewer vehicles can be charged over a given time. The maximum assumed utilisation is around 50% for a 7kW socket, representing a maximum of two plug-in events per 24-hour period, based on data supplied by another UK local authority. Therefore, a greater number of chargepoints is needed to meet demand. • 7 kW overnight charging is easier to manage from a grid perspective than rapid charging, especially if load management is possible, so there is a benefit in having some slower charging in the network. • Visibility of conveniently located charging infrastructure is essential to build end-user confidence to ensure that EV uptake matches the projections. Once vehicles are available with longer ranges and compatible with faster rates of charge, slower units may no longer be used and may become stranded assets. • Slow on-street units which only serve two vehicles per 24 hour period are unlikely to provide a return on investment for operators. These units may well need significant upfront public funding and potentially ongoing subsidies for maintenance as well. There is a risk to ACC associated with spending public money on uneconomical assets; this issue has led to negative media coverage in London and other cities. In summary, rapid charging is likely to be more cost effective at a systems level and reflects trends in vehicle and infrastructure technology. Conversely, providing slower chargers, even if they are not profitable, will increase EV uptake among households without off-street parking and help mitigate economic inequality. There is a potential political risk associated with encouraging EV uptake (or penalising petrol and diesel use through road user charging), while making the transition more difficult for some parts of society, however, Car Clubs can help to mitigate this risk by widening access to EVs to all parts of society. Decisions about chargepoint provision should not be made from a purely environmental viewpoint, but that social and financial benefits and drawbacks are properly considered. ACC should review the evidence presented in this report and the Framework and ultimately make its own decisions around chargepoint provision. Table shows estimated capital costs45 of the charging infrastructure forecast for Aberdeen. These were calculated using the figures shown in Table which are averaged capital costs for each chargepoint type from a variety of chargepoint providers. While ACC may have access to separate pricing through its procurement routes, we have used the average costs to provide a balanced representation of industry-wide pricing. Details of the cost elements included are contained in the footnote on this page. Costs do not include grid upgrades – these will vary significantly from site to site and will require individual site surveys to estimate. The costs in this table are therefore likely to be an underestimate, but the degree of variance cannot be provided without site surveys being carried out. Table 9-2: Capital cost of infrastructure from 2020 onwards to meet demand in Aberdeen City
Capital cost of charging infrastructure from 2020 onwards
2025 2030
Cost during period Cumulative cost Cost during period Cumulative cost
BAU £ 153,577 £ 153,577 £ 175,623 £ 329,199 Good Practice £ 608,479 £ 608,479 £ 1,446,178 £ 2,054,657 Exemplar £ 792,213 £ 792,213 £ 2,280,339 £ 3,072,552
Table 9-3: Capital costs of individual chargepoints from averaged industry figures
7 kW twin socket 22 kW twin socket 50 kW twin socket
Total capital cost £8,176 £8,403 £27,553
45 Capital costs include equipment, an electrical connection (feeder pillar, Residual Circuit Breaker with Over-current device (RCBO), RCBO housing, RCBO protection, Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) installation, fixings and an assumed 5m electrical cable run), enabling works (foundations, 5m of ducting & surface reinstatement, guard raid/crash protection, bay markings, signage and branding) and warranty.
9.2 EV Charging for Tourists According to Visit Britain’s 2018 Great Britain Tourism Survey46, just under 575,000 domestic tourists visit Aberdeen every year. This includes those travelling for holidays and business as well as those visiting friends and/or relatives. The survey suggests that 54% of domestic tourists originate in Scotland, with 44% from England and 2% from Wales. Based on a reasonable assumed distance that tourists travel to visit Aberdeen, data from the 2018 English National Travel Survey47 and 2018 Transport and Travel in Scotland survey suggest that around 84% of tourists from Scotland, as well as 55% of tourists from England and Wales, travel to Aberdeen using a car, see Table . This is based on current mobility choices for long journeys. Table 9-4: Regional origin of tourists visiting Aberdeen, including proportion of tourists visiting using car.
Tourist Visits per Year Visit Using Car Origin # % # %
Scotland 309,960 54% 260,366 84%
England 252,560 44% 138,908 55%
Wales 11,480 2% 6,314 55%
The 2018 Great Britain Tourism Survey suggests that visitors to Aberdeen are fairly evenly spread throughout the year, with a peak between the months of July and September, see Table . During this period, an average of 1,829 tourists visit Aberdeen each day, assuming visits are evenly spread.
Table 9-5: Number of tourists visiting Aberdeen by calendar year quarter. Tourist visits per day have been averaged based on the number of days in each quarter.
Tourist Visits per Qtr. Days in Tourist Visits per Quarter Qtr. Day (average) % #
January to March 22% 126,280 91 1,388
April to June 24% 137,760 91 1,514
July to September 29% 166,460 91 1,829
October to December 25% 143,500 92 1,560
Based on the EV uptake scenarios described in Section 8, combined with seasonal variation in the number of tourist visitors, Table shows minimum, average and maximum demand for EV charging infrastructure between 2020 and 2030. In this analysis, the scenarios are described as: • Minimum: Low EV uptake scenario, combined with the number of daily visitors from the quietest tourist season. • Average: Mid EV uptake scenario, combined with the average of daily visitors across the year. • Maximum: High EV uptake scenario, combined with the number of daily visitors from the busiest tourist season. Table 9-6: Estimated number of tourists visiting Aberdeen in an EV under three scenarios, 2020-2030.
Scenario Tourist Electric Vehicles per Day
46 Visit Britain, 2018. The GB Tourism Survey. 47 UK Department for Transport, 2018. The National Travel Survey: England.
Tourist Vehicles per 2020 2023 2025 2028 2030 Day (2018)
Minimum 981 10 26 43 78 110
Average 1111 13 38 66 132 193
Maximum 1293 17 54 98 204 304
This analysis suggests that, by 2030, between 110 and 304 tourists will visit Aberdeen in an EV every day. It is not possible to forecast the exact charging requirements of these vehicles as there is insufficient data on journey origins and the duration of their stay in Aberdeen. For example, whilst a tourist traveling from England to Aberdeen by car is undoubtedly likely to benefit from accessing charging infrastructure during their visit, there is insufficient evidence to suggest what type of charging infrastructure will be of most benefit, or the location that would be most ideal. Further study should be undertaken to determine the extent to which transit charging (e.g. at current petrol stations) is sufficient to meet demand from tourists travelling in an EV, as well as the likely impact that provision of EV charging infrastructure may potentially have on Aberdeen’s tourist economy. This research should ideally be undertaken with input from or in partnership with Visit Scotland and Visit Aberdeenshire to understand both the infrastructure needed and specific sites that tourists are likely to visit. One such area that could serve tourists includes the park and ride facilities. 9.3 EV Charging Infrastructure for Commuters ACC requested an estimate of the chargepoint requirements for vehicles registered outside of Aberdeen City that commute into the -city. UK Census data48 that covers Scotland was used to estimate the number of individuals commuting to Aberdeen from different local authority areas across the UK. A geospatial analysis was conducted to determine the distance, by road, between Aberdeen and each commuter origin. The results showed that 93% of individuals commuting to Aberdeen by car originate from within 120 km. As affordable EVs have been available with over 240 km range for several years, this suggests that most commuters will not need to recharge an EV during the working day in order to continue their existing commute behaviour. Even accounting for a small drop in effective range due to seasonal variation in ancillary equipment use, there is still a significant buffer between the <120km commute shown in the data, and the range of an affordable EV (>200km, even assuming a 10% range loss). The analysis suggested that the remaining 7%, making up nearly 650 commuters, commute more than 120 km each way daily by car. Outliers showed some commutes of several hundred kilometres, based on self- reported data provided to the UK Census. We are not confident that this data is accurate and have therefore not analysed results further to determine likely chargepoint requirements. In summary, we do not recommend providing dedicated EV infrastructure for most commuters living outside of Aberdeen City for several reasons: • Vehicle ranges are already sufficient to meet the needs of the majority of drivers. • Many commuters from outside the city will have off-street parking as this is typical in suburban and rural areas and can therefore charge at home. This will reduce load on the grid in Aberdeen. These commuters should be encouraged to use Park & Ride rather than driving into the city. Charging at Park & Ride sites is covered separately in this report. • Commuters originating in Aberdeen should not be incentivised to use their car for that journey. There may be a small number of commuters who travel from outside Aberdeen and don’t have off-street parking; in these cases, it would be most appropriate for employers to review individual situations and provide charging, if appropriate. 9.4 EV Charging for Through Traffic Transit charging is needed to enable EV owners to complete journeys that are beyond the range of their vehicle. In most cases, the ideal location for transit charging infrastructure is near to extra-urban A-roads, where minimal detour is required to access the chargepoint. Road links with relatively high traffic flow are
48 UK Census 2011, WU03UK dataset. No Scottish-specific data is available
typically appropriate sites for transit charging. Locations on or near junctions where several high-flow road links intersect are ideal as the number of potential users increases further. DfT traffic count data49 has been used to identify locations with high traffic flow on the SRN in and around Aberdeen. Figure 9-2 shows a map of Aberdeen’s SRN, coloured according to average annualised daily traffic flow. This data predates the opening of the A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) and therefore does not account for the impact this has had on the traffic flow of other routes – particularly the A92. Full traffic flow data including the AWPR is not publicly available, although early data for the AWPR was provided in response to a freedom of information request submitted in May 201950 (reference FOI/19/01368). This data is shown in Table 9-7: and suggests that, by April 2019, the AWPR had removed 48% of traffic flow from the A92 (Aberdeen’s previous through-route). Table 9-7: Early estimates of traffic flow diverted from A92 to A90 Aberdeen West Peripheral Route (AWPR), released in response to Freedom of Information request.
A92 AWPR Comparison Section Feb/Mar/ Feb Mar Apr Feb 19 Mar 19 Apr 19 Apr-18 19 19 19
Dyce to Milltimber 30,953 15,591 17,094 17,424 50% 55% 56%
Milltimber to Stonehaven 33,058 11,519 12,247 13,147 35% 37% 40%
Average 43% 46% 48%
The aim of the AWPR was to reroute transitory traffic away from Aberdeen city centre, and initial evidence suggests that this has been achieved. Users of the AWPR are therefore more likely to be passing through the area than to be visiting Aberdeen, making the AWPR an ideal location to provide transit charging. Along the AWPR, there are three key junctions, where the A90 intersects with the A93, A944 and A96 (shown in Figure 9-2). Traffic count data indicates that these intersecting roads also have high levels of traffic flow – particularly the A944. Transit charging infrastructure sited as near as possible to these junctions can serve users of these main roads without requiring a significant detour. Park and Ride sites already exist at the junctions of the A90/A944 and the A90/A96 and could be used as rapid charging hubs for transit charging. Charging infrastructure should be at least rapid (50 kW), ideally with sites prepared for upgrade to ultra-rapid (150+ kW) charging as EV technology develops. Once installed, chargepoint usage should be monitored to identify when additional infrastructure is required to meet growing demand. It is not currently possible to predict the number of chargepoints required at these sites, as there is no data showing trip origin and destination for transitory road users. Aberdeen’s port operates two major ferry services to Kirkwall (Orkney) and Lerwick (Shetland). In 2017 a total of 22,900 cars and 120 commercial vehicles travelled on these services equating to 143,000 passengers including those on foot and other non-motorised transport51. While this through-traffic is relatively small compared to that of the AWPR, consideration should be given to locating charging infrastructure in and around the port in the future as EVs become more prevalent.
49 https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk 50 https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-19-01368/ 51 Scottish Transport Statistics, 2018, Table 9.15
Figure 9-2 Map showing traffic flow on strategic road links in and around Aberdeen, with suggested sites for provision of transit charging infrastructure for EVs. Official traffic count data for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) is not yet available.
10 Infrastructure Locations 10.1 Off-Street Charging Using the methodology in section 4.4 potential infrastructure sites were ranked and a shortlist of the highest ranked sites was created, as shown in Table 10-1:. The full longlist is included in the Appendix. Table 10-1: Shortlist of infrastructure sites
Primary Use Case Pu Welcoming Strategy On Taxi& fleet 24/7 access Implementation Spatial gaps needs Future Capacity Total Rank
Ownership
blic accessblic
-
street
Name
Frederick Street ACC Retail 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 34 1 Car Park
Bridge of Don Park ACC Hub 4 4 4 2 0 4 3 0 3 4 28 2 & Ride
Chapel Street Car ACC Workplace 4 3 4 4 1 4 3 0 3 2 28 2 Park (expansion)
Craibstone Park and Ride ACC Hub 4 4 4 0 3 4 3 0 3 3 28 2 (expansion)
Pittodrie Stadium Private Leisure 4 0 0 4 0 4 4 4 3 4 27 5 (redevelopment)
Virginia Street Car ACC Retail 4 1 3 3 4 4 4 0 3 1 27 5 Park
Kittybrewster ACC Transit 2 0 3 4 4 4 4 2 3 0 26 7 Hydrogen Station
Summer Street Car ACC Workplace 4 2 3 4 4 3 2 0 3 1 26 7 Park
Kingswell Park & ACC Hub 4 4 4 0 0 4 2 1 3 4 26 7 Ride (expansion)
Residentia Golden Square Public 4 2 2 4 1 3 3 0 2 2 23 10 l
BP/M&S Private Retail 4 0 4 1 0 4 2 4 2 2 23 10 Peterculter
Shell Bankhead Private Hub 4 2 2 3 0 4 3 0 2 2 22 12
Gallowgate Car ACC Hub 4 2 3 2 0 4 3 0 2 2 22 12 Park (expansion)
Esso Kingswell Private Transit 4 2 4 0 0 4 2 2 2 2 22 12 Junction
Sclattie Park Public Transit 4 2 2 3 0 4 3 0 2 1 21 15 (expansion)
BP King Street Private Transit 4 2 0 3 0 4 2 2 2 2 21 15
BP North Private Transit 4 2 0 4 0 4 3 0 2 2 21 15 Esplanade
Shell North Private Transit 4 1 2 1 0 4 3 2 2 2 21 15 Anderson Drive
The shortlisted sites were analysed using the methodology in section 4.4 (and detailed further in the Appendix) to calculate the number of active and passive chargers required in 2025 and 2030 respectively. When planning and installing infrastructure for the 2025 targets, it will be important to ensure that enough passive charging is built in for 2030 to avoid unnecessary groundworks when expanding the network at already established sites. Similarly, capability to upgrade chargepoints from slow to rapid chargers should also be taken into account, should there be a preferred market solution in the future. The resulting chargepoint provision for each site is shown in Table 10-2:. These sites have been mapped, alongside their rank in Figure 10-1:. Note that each chargepoint will have two sockets.
Table 10-2: Chargepoint provision at identified sites
2025 2030 Site Name (Rank) Parking Spaces 7 kW 22 kW 50 kW 7 kW 22 kW 50 kW
Frederick Street (1) 150 0 1 1 0 1 1
Bridge of Don Park & Ride (2) 600 4 0 2 11 0 5
Chapel Street (2) 500 3 1 0 7 1 0
Craibstone Park and Ride (2) 996 6 0 3 17 0 8
Pittodrie Stadium (5) 295 1 1 0 3 3 0
Virginia Street (5) 45 0 0 1 0 0 1
Kittybrewster Hydrogen Station (7) 90 0 1 1 0 3 2
Summer Street (7) 23 1 1 0 2 1 0
Kingswell Park & Ride (7) 950 6 0 3 16 0 8
Golden Square (10) 32 1 1 0 1 1 0
BP/M&S Peterculter (10) 10 0 0 1 0 0 2
Shell Bankhead (12) 10 0 0 1 0 0 2
Gallowgate (12) 138 0 1 1 0 1 2
Esso Kingswell Junction (12) 20 0 0 2 0 0 4
Sclattie Park (15) 28 0 1 1 0 1 2
BP King Street (15) 10 0 0 1 0 0 2
BP North Esplanade (15) 10 0 0 1 0 0 2
Shell North Anderson Drive (15) 10 0 0 1 0 0 2
22 8 20 57 12 43 Total 3,917 50 112
Figure 10-1: Shortlisted chargepoint sites with rank
Section 9.1 showed that 91 chargepoints would be needed by 2025 in the Exemplar scenario, and 266 by 2030. A summary of the required number of chargepoints, the current infrastructure already in place in Aberdeen, and the number of chargepoints identified at the shortlisted sites is shown in Table 10-3:. Table 10-3: Summary of required, current, proposed and shortfall of EV infrastructure
2025 2030
7 kW 22 kW 50 kW Total 7 kW 22 kW 50 kW Total
Required (Exemplar) 37 26 28 91 89 87 90 266
Current Infrastructure 20 20 11 51 20 20 11 51
Shortlisted Sites 22 8 20 50 57 12 43 112
Shortfall -5 -2 -3 -10 12 55 36 103
This analysis shows that if all 18 identified sites on the shortlist had the recommended infrastructure built then in 2025 ACC would exceed the required number of chargepoints, for all charging speeds, for the exemplar uptake scenario. This would put ACC in a strong starting position for the second half of the decade. ACC will need to regularly monitor utilisation of installed chargepoints up to 2025 and adjust subsequent installation rates at each site accordingly. In 2030 there is a shortfall in the required number of sites for all charging speeds if further EV infrastructure is only built at the shortlisted sites. The largest shortfall in chargepoints in 2030 is for the 22 kW fast chargers. Recommended sites for this type of chargers include destination locations, leisure centres and supermarkets. There are three main ways that this shortfall should be addressed: • Ensure that when new major developments are brought forward for planning consent that consideration is given to active and passive charging requirements • Build infrastructure at the next highest ranked sites that didn’t make the shortlist (see the longlist in the Appendix), • Encourage private landowners to put in place the extra chargers required to meet the recommended number of chargepoints • Some workplaces may be able to provide chargepoints for public access. However, in line with guidance from ACC, this has not been considered in detail in this report as such sites do not meet the criteria of being ‘primarily for public use or access’. Many workplace sites will have access restrictions, particularly on access outside business hours, so may not be suitable for chargepoint provision. Charging could be provided for visitors but, as they would not be added to the public network, they are not considered in this report.
10.2 On-Street Charging In the ‘hybrid’ model agreed with ACC, off-street charging will need to be supported by some on-street charging for households without off-street parking. Using the methodology described in section 4.5, 100 locations52 were identified as potential sites for trialling on-street charging and these were ranked according to the criteria shown in Table 10-4:. The results are displayed in Figure 10-2:. Table 10-4: Factors considered within the residential charging ranking
Factor Dataset(s) used
Vehicle ownership by household. Total population. Vehicle ownership Datasets combined to determine vehicles per person as a relative indicator of vehicle ownership.
52 The top 200 sites can be found in the Appendix.
Method of commute, specifically number of people commuting either as a Vehicle usage car driver or passenger. Distance of commute.
Number of households deprived on one or more dimension.
Affluence National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), specifically the number of people falling within NS-SEC categories 1 to 4, representing more advantaged groups.
Households by building type, specifically the number of detached and semi- Off-street parking availability detached houses (which have been considered to be more likely to have off- street parking).
Figure 10-2: Top 100 sites for on-street charging trials
11 Chargepoint Procurement and Management 11.1 National Technical Standards OLEV publishes technical standards for domestic and workplace charging that must be adhered to by EV charging infrastructure suppliers for them to be permitted to access UK Government funding streams. These standards form a sensible and robust basis upon which ACC can develop more detailed standards tailored to local requirements. The technical standards, as specified for the OLEV Workplace Charging Scheme, and information about chargepoint system components and data protocols are shown in the Appendix. 11.2 Exceeding of National Standards National standards do not cover the implementation of EV charging hubs. EV charging hubs contain multiple chargepoints, possibly of different specifications, plus auxiliary equipment including battery storage or solar photovoltaic canopies. As a result, installations can be complex, involving multiple subcontracting equipment suppliers and installers. Factors such as electrical connection – which is likely to necessitate a dedicated substation – and civil engineering works should be more carefully planned prior to procuring equipment and installation suppliers. With the additional complexity of EV charging hubs, it may be more sensible to procure these over three phases: • Design Phase: Produce viable engineering design schematics that meet quoted specifications. • Delivery Phase: Provide and install specified equipment for the hub (drawing upon OLEV technical standards shown in the Appendix). • Operation Phase: Operate the hub, including back-office systems and maintenance (drawing upon OLEV technical standards shown in the appendix).
11.3 EV Charging Bays Chargepoint installers should consider the layout of the equipment relative to the charging bays: • The distance between the charging equipment and the charge connection point on the vehicle should be kept to a minimum. • Public charging equipment should be compatible with the full range of positions of the charge connection points on vehicles, illustrated in • Figure 11-1:. • Public chargepoints should be located and installed to cater for a wide diversity of users, including being accessible for people with mobility issues. • Equipment should be installed in a position to minimise the likelihood of vehicle impact damage. Where this is not possible protective barriers should be installed. • The main operating controls and any socket outlets should be between 0.75 m and 1.2 m above ground. Display screens should be between 1.2 m and 1.4 m above ground, viewable by a person standing or sitting. • Once installed there must be sufficient space around the charging equipment to allow opening of the equipment’s doors or covers to allow inspection and maintenance. • Charging equipment should be installed in such a way as to avoid creating unnecessary trip hazards for the general public (both users and pedestrians). All wiring should be suitably routed and clipped or enclosed in containment.
11.4 Further Work Aberdeen has developed guidance on best practice for new developments in its Transport and Accessibility Supplementary Guidance, however, this is a non-technical document which does not cover items such as equipment safety requirements, installation regulations and British Standards, charging equipment electrical rating and maintenance British Standard guidelines. It is recommended that ACC produce a separate guidance document for developers wishing to install chargepoints. This should build on the OLEV guidance stated in the Appendix and, in addition, include
details regarding charging hub best practice and layout of equipment, as stated above and shown in Figure 11-1.
Figure 11-1: Charging equipment location relative to parking space53
53 IET Standards: Code of practice for electric vehicle charging equipment installation, 3rd Edition, 2018
12 Network Operating Models 12.1 Introduction There are four common chargepoint network operating models that are compared in this section: own and operate, external operator, lease, and concession54. In each ownership model, elements of the capital cost, operating cost and revenue are shared differently between the landowner and chargepoint provider. The advantages and disadvantages of each model are considered and examples from other local authorities are provided.
12.2 Network Operating Model Overview Own and Operate The Own and Operate model represents the most involved level of intervention for the landowner (such as a local authority). The landowner prepares the site, including groundworks and electrical connection, procures the EV charging equipment, funds the installation of the equipment and purchases a back-office system to manage the chargepoint. All revenue is retained by the landowner. In comparison with other ownership models, Own and Operate offers the greatest revenue opportunity but also the greatest risk to the landowner. In this model, the landowner has control over all aspects of how the chargepoint is operated, including tariffs and network compatibility. External Operator The External Operator model is identical to the Own and Operate model except that the third party operates the network once installed. The supplier provides the back-office system at no direct cost, in return for a share of net revenue. This ownership model removes some of the landowner or local authority’s operating expenses, reducing the risk whilst retaining the majority of the revenue. The capital investment is still entirely provided by the landowner and, in all regards except for network compatibility, the landowner retains control of how the chargepoint is operated. Lease The Lease ownership model requires the lowest level of investment by the landowner. In this model, all capital and operating costs are covered by an external supplier, with a small share of revenue retained by the landowner in return for making land available to the chargepoint supplier. This model minimises financial risk but also reduces revenue generation. This approach has other associated risks. Success depends on sourcing an external supplier willing to accept the financial risk, which depends on the type of site offered and the associated revenue generating potential. In less ideal sites, external suppliers may seek contractual assurances to mitigate risk, such as autonomy over usage tariffs, a longer lease period, 24-hour access and/or favourable contract termination conditions. Another risk to the landowner is that, as the external supplier owns the electrical connection point, the landowner may incur additional costs associated with asset transfer of the connection point at the end of the contract. Concession The Concession model is similar to the Lease model but much of the risk to the landowner is mitigated in exchange for a lower share of revenue. The key difference between the Concession and Lease models is that the landowner provides the capital investment to establish an electrical connection point for an external supplier to install and operate a chargepoint. The benefit of this model is that, as the landowner retains ownership of the connection point, there is no lasting obligation to the supplier beyond the terms of their concession. This increases the contractual leverage of the landowner and may assist in negotiating contractual terms that are more favourable to the landowner such as tariff controls, mandatory ad hoc access, interoperability, daily operating hours, shorter contract length and/or stricter Service-Level Agreement (SLA) criteria.
54 Additionally, ACC could choose to rely solely on private sector investment and not be involved at all in the deployment and operation of chargepoints. This is likely to lead to sub-optimal placement of chargepoints that do not necessarily meet the needs of the city, with ACC having no control of their management and tariff rates. We are not aware of any UK local authorities that have successfully followed this approach.
A summary of the proportion of cost incurred and revenue retained by the landowner in different ownerships models is shown in Table 12-1. Note that these are assumptions and not definitive. Table 12-1: Proportion of costs incurred, and revenue retained by landowner across ownership models
Groundworks
Maintenance
Back
Electricity
Hardware Ownership Model Revenue
-
office
Own and Operate 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
External Operator 100% 100% 0% 100% 100% 90%
Lease 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 20%
Concession 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 30%
When making decisions on chargepoint ownership models, it is important to also consider the non-financial implications of each model. Whilst the most obvious distinctions between each ownership model are in how costs and revenue are shared, there is also a variable share in the contractual control over how the chargepoints are operated. In most cases, the greater the investment made by an external supplier(s), the greater the control of the supplier(s). In turn, this means that the landowner will have less control over the quality and type of service(s) provided to EV users on their site which, in a worst-case scenario, could create a negative perception of the landowner that they cannot easily address. Regardless of the ownership model, contractual terms should be sought that ensure both financial and reputational risk are fairly distributed and that a high level of service to EV users is maintained. 12.2.1 Plymouth City Council Case Study While each operating model has its advantages and disadvantages, there is an increasing trend for local authorities to follow the Concession model. Below are details of the process that Plymouth City Council (PCC) has recently undertaken leading them to conclude that the Concession model provides a good balance of reduced financial and reputational risk, value for money, and still provides a small revenue to the host authority. PCC reviewed the provision of chargepoints in and around Plymouth and found that chargepoints had previously been provided in a piecemeal approach, typically by allowing Pod Point to install infrastructure on unused council land. PCC is now working towards a coherent, strategic chargepoint network with the right type of units installed at the right locations and following an appropriate timescale. Their starting point was to define their priorities as an organisation and then use these to inform a review of the different business models available. Initially some stakeholders within PCC were keen to apply the Own and Operate model, as they saw chargepoints as a potential revenue source. However, this was assessed against the long timescale needed to recover the initial investment, as well as the degree of in-house expertise required to own and operate a network. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of the concession model as identified by PCC: Advantages • Long term strategic value in owning the grid connection assets. This provides flexibility, allowing the authority to move to another ownership model, or simply appoint a different concessionaire. In the latter case, the hardware would be removed by the outgoing concessionaire at their cost. • Roaming, or interoperability with other chargepoint networks, can be facilitated by requiring the concessionaire to incorporate units into their existing networks and work with other network providers to ensure a seamless user experience. • Upfront costs are reduced compared to the Own and Operate and external operator models, making it a good option for local authorities facing budgetary challenges.
• It offers a degree of flexibility in how the financial arrangements are structured. For example, the supplier can rent equipment to the local authority and split the profits. • Depending on the terms of the agreement with the concessionaire, private sector investment can be leveraged to grow the network, providing good value for money against the authority’s investment. • The network is more likely to be well serviced, maintained and repaired. Reactive servicing in particular is likely to be carried out promptly because the concessionaire has a substantial financial incentive to do so – both in terms of potential lost revenue and any financial penalties from failing to meet Service Level Agreements (SLAs). • The concessionaire will have to deal with complaints from EV drivers, for example, if infrastructure is not installed in the right location or is not working properly. The local authority can be less involved as local residents can be directed to the concessionaire. • This model can still provide a revenue stream to the authority. As part of the procurement process, the concessionaire can be required to provide a revenue share and even a guaranteed minimum payment. Disadvantages • There is some loss of control compared to the Own and Operate and External operator models. The concessionaire will be able to take some strategic decisions about the network installation and operation, most significantly around the pricing structure and billing mechanisms. • The local authority’s share of revenue is reduced and could be zero in a concessionaire model with no agreed revenue share. • The local authority will still need the capital and resources to ensure that strategic sites have enough electrical capacity to allow the concessionaire to install chargepoints. • A concessionaire’s primary aim is to make a profit. Officers responsible for the initial procurement and ongoing contract management will need to ensure that requirements and SLAs are met and that value for money is achieved. • Although the concessionaire can act as the point of contact for enquiries and complaints, the local authority may still receive negative publicity if there are any substantial and high-profile problems with the chargepoint network. One example could be if the concessionaire goes out of business during the contractual period. In this case the local authority will need to fund servicing, maintenance and back office support.
The review concluded that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks and recommended pursuing the Concession approach. The other key takeaway from this example is PCC’s approach to defining internal organisational priorities to use alongside data and evidence for informed decision making.
12.3 Fees and Tariffs The following section outlines the tariff options available. This report outlines three potential payment methods: pay per kilowatt hour, pay per hour/minute and pay per use. Pay per Kilowatt-hour Where users are likely to move on as soon as they have received their intended charge (e.g. rapid charging at service stations) paying per kilowatt-hour is the most appropriate payment method because the user pays proportionately to the electricity used. Many of the UK’s rapid charging networks operate on a pay per kilowatt hour basis. Users of standard and fast charging units may not unplug their vehicle immediately on completion of charging, particularly where likely parking duration exceeds required charging time (e.g. at a Park & Ride site). A pay per kilowatt-hour tariff does not disincentivise this behaviour which, as shown in Section 6.3 of this report, can lead to poor utilisation and undermine the introduction of a fee. However, when coupled with either an overstay penalty or a maximum stay time, this will encourage good charging behaviour and ensure chargepoint utilisation is high. Pay per Hour/Minute A pay per hour/minute tariff provides an incentive for EV users to unplug their vehicle when it is fully charged, allowing other EV drivers to charge. This encourages considerate behaviour and therefore increased chargepoint utilisation.
Pay per Use (Flat Rate) A flat rate payment per use would be simpler to implement and administer than pay per kilowatt-hour or per hour/minute. This scheme may be easier to communicate to users as they can calculate the cost of charging easily and do not need to know their charging duration in advance. Charging a flat rate tariff also further simplifies business case development, as all that is required to estimate revenues is an estimate of number of charging instances. Other tariff types would require additional insight around charge duration and vehicle types. However, charging a flat rate could dissuade EV users who only require a short charge from using the EVSE provided onsite. Overstay Penalties and Maximum Stay Times If an overstay penalty or maximum stay time is introduced, it needs to be appropriately signposted to ensure users are aware of this fee and do not become disgruntled if charged. Overstay penalties can be implemented to charge users a fee if their vehicle remains plugged into a chargepoint after it has fully charged. This would have to be implemented through the chargepoint back office system. A maximum stay time would limit the time a vehicle can be parked in a bay, and hence charge. While this ensures vehicles rotate throughout the day at these sites, this option can still be abused. If there is no parking fee, there is nothing to deter a driver who is at full charge blocking a charging bay. Conversely if the charger is not rated high enough, the user may not be able to fully charge within the maximum stay time leading to user dissatisfaction. A maximum stay time, however, can be operated either through the charge point, through cameras or manually with a traffic warden. In summary, it is recommended that ACC considers using either a pay per kilowatt-hour tariff (when coupled with an overstay penalty for slow and fast chargers) or a pay per hour/minute tariff. This would help prevent undesirable behaviour (e.g. chargepoint blocking) and would make revenue more predictable, removing some uncertainty from investment plans. The Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) Scotland provides guidance on overstay penalties which ACC could consider adopting. EVA Scotland recommends that all hosts apply overstay fees. It recommends time-based fees, applied after the maximum charge session time each host permits. EVA’s optimum starting point would be to charge £1 per minute overstay, with a ten-minute grace period. Anyone ending charging within the period would not be charged, but as soon as the overstay exceeds that ten-minute window, the minimum overstay fee would be £10. The fees would be collected as part of the standard transaction through the ChargePlace Scotland management system. Each host would need to define the maximum charge session length for themselves so we do not provide guidance on that here. The ideal would be for overstay fees to be universal across all hosts. Recognising that it would however be problematic to allow the total to increment indefinitely, EVA Scotland proposes the upper limit that can be applied to any single infringement be set at whatever the local Penalty Charge Notice standard rate is. This would hopefully be appropriate to ensure that the cost of appeals and their administration is kept to a minimum.
Tariff Fees From 1st of June 2020, ACC introduced a fee of £0.19 per kWh delivered across all chargepoint types with a connection fee of £0.38. Currently these fees are constant across the city. There may be some benefit in varying tariffs to encourage people to use Park & Ride or suburban charging locations instead of city centre locations, but we are not aware of any authorities taking this approach and therefore there is no evidence for us to comment further. Table shows example fee ranges for each type of tariff broken down into per unit and connection charge based off researched figures throughout the UK. Table 12-2: Typical charges for a variety of chargepoint tariffs and speeds
Tariff Charge Type 7 kW 22 kW 50 kW 150 kW
Per unit £0.15 - £0.25 £0.15 - £0.30 £0.17 - £0.35 £0.25 - £0.40 Per kWh Connection £0.00 £0.00 - £1.00 £0.00 - £3.00 £0.00 - £4.00
Per hour Per unit £1.00 - £2.50 £4.00 - £6.00 £9.00 - £15.00 £30.00 - £40.00
Connection £0.00 £0.00 - £1.00 £0.00 - £2.00 £0.00 - £5.00
Flat rate Connection £4.00 - £7.00 £5.00 - £8.00 £6.00 - £9.00 £7.00 - £10.00
Specific figures for given councils, areas and private operators can be found below for comparison: • Aberdeenshire Council – 21p per kWh (from 2021/2) • Dumfries and Galloway – £1.50 minimum or 25p per kWh • Dundee – 38p fixed charge and 15p per kWh • East Lothian – 30p per kWh (rapid) and 16p per kWh (fast) • Edinburgh – 20p per kWh. £2 connection fee at Park and ride slow chargers, 30p connection fee at fast chargers and £1 connection fee at rapids • Fife – £1.60 connection fee and 15p per kWh (from September 2020) • Moray – £3.80 minimum charge and 2 hour free parking • Orkney – 25p per kWh and minimum charge of £2 for rapids, 20p per kWh for fast chargers and minimum charge of £1 • Instavolt – 35p per kWh for rapids • Lidl – 23p per kWh for rapids • Shell – 39p per kWh for rapids
Coventry City Council Case Study Coventry City Council (CCC) has been trialling residential shared on-street 7 kW chargers in locations where there is no residential off-street parking. CCC used OLEV funding, which provides up to 75% of the Capex for an on-street chargepoint. This was initially match-funded by CCC and is now match-funded by private operators. Their operating model, tariffs and traffic enforcement are summarised below: • The contracted operator runs the on-street network but CCC retains control over the per kWh fee. The operator must get CCC’s agreement to raise the charge. The fee was initially set at 16.2 p/kWh • The operator is required to invest in two new chargepoints for every £20,000 profit made, although it is unclear how this is monitored • CCC has a 30/70 revenue share on the rapid chargepoints • Rapids are enforced with a one hour limit, no return in two hours. Time limits for slower chargers are bay specific and consultation is done for individual locations • CCC are trialling sensors to integrate chargepoints with parking enforcement and the chargepoint back office system. Trials are at an early stage; ACC should request a copy of any report published • Local authorities must have a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) in place to enforce a marked EV bay. CCC’s recommendation is to start without a TRO and put it in place once customer ‘complaints’ suggest demand is high enough Implications for Aberdeen In terms of the network operating models, the evidence shows that the best option for an individual local authority must reflect its own attitude to risk, willingness to invest, and access to capital. This is not a decision that can be provided solely by a third party. The evidence outlined above, including the Plymouth case study, plus evidence widely available from London and Nottingham, suggests that a growing number of cities are opting for the Concession model as a way of balancing risk and reward while growing private sector investment. Ultimately ACC will need to review the evidence provided and make its own decision about which model to use – there is no clear ‘winner’ in the market and as such it would be inappropriate for any organisation to provide a definitive recommendation. Likewise, when setting fees and tariffs, ACC needs to properly define and apply criteria to select the most appropriate option. For example, does the Council want the scheme to be revenue neutral, or to generate income? Is it important that ACC’s network is priced competitively compared to other networks in Scotland? These questions can only be answered by an internal council-led exercise, informed by the evidence provided here.
13 Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles 13.1 Number and Type of Licensed Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles ACC licenses 1,074 taxi and private hire vehicles55 including: • 855 taxis of which 436 are wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) and 419 are non-WAV taxis. • 219 private hire vehicles.
Table 13-1 shows the five licensing authorities with the largest number of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in Scotland, as reported in the 2018 Scottish Transport Statistics56. Table 13-1: Number of Licensed Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles by Local Authority, 2018
Private Hire Local Authority Taxi Vehicles WAV Taxis Total Vehicles Glasgow City 1,420 1,420 (100%) 3,759 5,179 Edinburgh City 1,316 1,316 (100%) 2,165 3,481 North Lanarkshire 493 176 (36%) 1,395 1,888 South Lanarkshire 345 15 (4%) 1,470 1,815 Aberdeen City 899 465 (52%) 243 1,142 Scotland 10,356 4,916 (47%) 13,843 24,199
Aberdeen has the fifth largest number of licensed taxi and private hire vehicles. It has the third largest number of taxis and a relatively high ratio of taxi to private hire vehicles, with 79% of the vehicles operating on taxi licences compared to an average of only 43% for the whole of Scotland. Depending on local requirements, licensing authorities can choose to license any combination of the following as taxis: • WAV meeting Transport for London’s (TfL) conditions of fitness – currently LEVC and Dynamo Nissan e- NV200 only for new licences. • WAV meeting ‘national’ hackney carriage specifications - medium van conversions such as the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Ford Tourneo Custom. • Rear access WAV - small van conversions such as the Peugeot Partner Premier. • Standard passenger vehicles – those which are deemed practical for use.
ACC currently requires all newly licenced taxis to be a WAV. However, for licences issued prior to 1994 a standard passenger vehicle or a WAV can be substituted onto the licence in the event where the licence holder requests a change of vehicle. On 5th June 2018 the licensing committee deferred the implementation of a policy requiring all taxis to be WAVs and it is intended to prepare a report proposing mixed fleet policy options by June 202257. As a result, 52% of the taxi fleet consists of WAVs which are predominantly small van derived vehicles (Peugeot Partner vehicles account for 80% of the WAVs). In total, WAV small vans are estimated to account for around 40% of the total licensed taxi and private hire vehicles in Aberdeen. There are currently only two WAVs that are eligible for the plug-in taxi grant (up to a maximum of £7,500): the range extended LEVC TX (with an official electric only range of 63 miles and total range of 301 miles using a petrol engine to charge the battery) and fully battery electric Dynamo Nissan e-NV200 (official electric range of 124 miles). Both meet full hackney carriage vehicle specifications and may therefore be over specified for ACC’s requirements. Although there are numerous BEV small vans available (e.g. Nissan
55 Data provided by Aberdeen City Council, Jan 2020 56 https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/44025/scottish-transport-statistics-no-37-2018-edition.pdf 57 https://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=8032
e-NV200, Renault Kangoo Z.E. and Peugeot Partner / Citroen Berlingo electric) we are not aware of any type approved rear access wheelchair conversions licensed for taxi use58. The composition of the remaining 638 standard passenger vehicles (419 non-WAV taxis and 219 private hire vehicles) has not been assessed as part of this review. We have reviewed fleet data for around 16,000 taxi and private hire vehicles covering 23 local authorities. Based on the vehicle types provided by ACC’s licensing team we expect that the fleet composition for standard passenger vehicles will be in line with other local authorities. Table 13-2 and Table 13-3 show the typical vehicle and fuel types for standard passenger vehicles. Table 13-2: Typical Vehicle Market Segments (Standard Passenger Vehicles)
Example Make and Models % of Fleet Toyota Avensis Large Car 30-40% Volkswagen Passat Skoda Octavia Medium Car 20-40% Toyota Prius Vauxhall Zafira Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) 10-20% Volkswagen Sharan Mercedes-Benz E-Class Executive Car 5-10% BMW 5-Series
Table 13-3: Typical Fuel Types (Standard Passenger Vehicles)
% of Fleet Diesel ~92% Petrol ~4% Hybrid ~4% Electric <0.5%
ACC currently license 11 hybrid vehicles (1% of the fleet) and no EVs. Availability of suitable plug-in passenger vehicles is not a significant barrier to adoption of plug-in taxi and private hire vehicles. However, there are two key risks which may constrain uptake of plug-in vehicles: • Suitable plug-in vehicles must be available in all market segments including relatively niche segments such as MPVs and executive cars. • ACC (and all local authorities that we have worked with) do not permit the use of small cars, hatchbacks or sports utility vehicles (SUV) which further limits available options.
There are around 14 battery electric passenger vehicles59 (including variants of the same model and upcoming releases) that could be suitable for use as taxi and private hire vehicles based on typical market segments. This number increases to 44 vehicles if small cars and SUVs are included.
58 An increasing number of UK based specialist convertors now offer WAV battery electric small vans including Brotherwood and Vic Young 59 https://ev-database.uk/
13.2 Vehicle Age and Emissions Policy Table 13-4 summarises ACC’s vehicle age and emissions policy for taxi and private hire vehicles60. Table 13-4: Current Vehicle Age and Emissions Policy
Minimum Minimum Maximum Age Maximum Age Emissions Emissions
(New Vehicles) (Renewal) Standard Standard (New Vehicles) (Renewal)
None Taxi 5 years (WAV = 10 NA (Will be required to meet LEZ standard years) when introduced - Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 Private Hire petrol)
DfT taxi statistics for England and Wales61 show that around 70% of licensing authorities have some form of maximum age limit. It is common practice for licensing authorities to only specify an age limit for newly licensed vehicles or to allow vehicles to operate beyond maximum age limits via exception condition criteria (which is intended to check that vehicles are still safe and fit for purpose). Where specified, typical maximum age limits for licence renewals are 6-9 years for private hire vehicles and 9-14 years for hackney carriage vehicles. Where local authorities specify vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions it is no longer necessary to have a maximum age limit based on environmental considerations. Based on the information provided, ACC required newly licensed standard passenger vehicles to be less than five years old (similar to other local authorities) and newly licensed WAVs to be less than ten years old (relatively high but not uncommon). ACC does not specify a maximum age limit or minimum emission standard for renewal of vehicle licences. Instead, vehicles are removed from the fleet due to natural turnover or upon failure of inspection / compliance tests. This does not provide any direct control over fleet emissions standards and is typical of ‘business as usual’ licensing policies. Depending upon aspirations there are three typical alternatives as follows: • Improved - Enforced age limit for renewal of diesel / petrol vehicles (e.g. 10 years), minimum emissions standard for new vehicles (e.g. Euro 6) • CAZ / LEZ compliance - Minimum emissions standard for all vehicles (e.g. new vehicles and renewals must be Euro 6) • Best practice for ULEZ introduction – Enforced age limit for renewal of diesel / petrol vehicles (e.g. 10 years), new vehicles must be ULEV
13.3 Taxi and Private Hire Licensing – Best Practice Low emission taxi policy documents have been reviewed and we have drawn on previous experience with relevant local authorities to produce the following summary of taxi vehicle age and emissions policy best practice. Table summarises the current vehicle age and emissions policy as well as supporting activities from relevant cities in Scotland.
60 https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2018-12/Vehicle%20Licence%20Application%20Form.pdf 61 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/taxi01-taxis-private-hire-vehilces-and-their-drivers. Note that equivalent statistics for Scotland are not readily available so we have used England and Wales data as the best alternative.
Table 13-5: Vehicle Age and Emissions Policy Best Practice (Scotland)
Local Authority Proposed Policy Changes and Incentives
• ‘No taxi/private hire car licence will be issued in respect of Glasgow City Council vehicles whose first date of registration was greater than 5 years before the date on which the vehicle details for an application for a licence or substitution of a vehicle were declared unless that vehicle had been licensed by the council within the previous 12 months.’ • Consultation held on future licensing policy in support of LEZ phase 2 (feedback due Nov 2019) • Proposal – ‘vehicles to be used as a taxi or private hire car will require to meet the emissions standard Euro IV for petrol vehicles and Euro VI for diesel vehicles by 31 December 2022’ • Proposal – ‘from 1 January 2020, the policy requiring that taxi vehicles be no more than five years of age at the date
of lodging an application for a new licence or the substitution of a vehicle is removed for all applications for Sources: new and substitute taxi vehicles’ https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/licences/taxis • ‘On 17 April 2019 the Licensing and Regulatory Committee https://www.glasgowconsult.co.uk/ introduced an Overprovision Policy for the grant of Taxi and Private Hire Car Licences’ City of Edinburgh Council • New age and emissions policy issued May 2019 • ‘April 2019 no Taxi or PHV will thereafter be accepted for test unless it is Euro 5 or above’ • ‘April 2020 there will be an Age Limit applied to Taxis and Private Hire Cars’ as follows ‘a taxi and PHV can be submitted for test prior to the 10th anniversary of its registration for renewal of licence’ (e.g. 10-year age limit for renewal of licence) • ‘April 2022 no Taxi or PHV will thereafter be accepted for test unless it is Euro 6 or above.’ • Additional 4 years operation for electric vehicles (e.g. 14- year age limit for renewal of licence). This excludes hybrids, which Edinburgh exclude ‘due to the presence of a Sources: petrol engine’. It is unclear if this exclusion applies to range extended electric vehicles, where an electric motor drives https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/ the wheels at all times. https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/
Local Authority Proposed Policy Changes and Incentives
Dundee City Council • Details of maximum age limit or emission standard for renewals unavailable • ‘new taxi or private hire licences would only be granted on the condition that only a battery electric vehicle from the approved list can be placed on service’ • Electric vehicle corporate licence policy • Approved list of electric vehicles • Go Ultra Low City status - introducing three rapid charging hubs and priority access rapid chargers for taxis • Introductory free charging of electric vehicles (charging tariff introduced as of Nov 2019 =15 p/kWh with 38p connection fee) Sources: • >100 electric taxi and private hire vehicles (~18% of the fleet) https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/licensing/ • First battery electric WAV taxi operating in the area62 https://drivedundeeelectric.co.uk/ • Other incentives – pure electric taxi rank, £10 discount on vehicle compliance test, free parking in multi-storey car parks
Table 13-6 shows the remaining vehicle age and emissions policy best practice reviewed to date. The local authorities have been sorted by the date at which ULEVs will be introduced as the minimum standard for all licensed vehicles from latest to earliest (i.e. the most aspirational at the end). Policies have been highlighted for distinction as follows: Euro standard based policies are shown in amber and ULEV based policies are shown in blue.
62 https://www.vicyoung.co.uk/news/the-first-of-its-kind-in-the-city-of-dundee/
Proposed Policy Changes and Incentives
(* = access to Clean Air Fund, ** = winner of ULEV Taxi Infrastructure Scheme) • Proposed to ensure that fleet is ‘Clean Air Compliant’ by 2023 – consultation closed 23rd June 2019 • 2020 – New vehicles must meet Euro 6 • 2022 – All vehicles must meet Euro 6 • Low Emissions Taxi Incentive Scheme until May 2021 (cashback (CAZ compliant fleet – No on licensing fees of £3,000 for BEV, £2,000 for PHEV, £1,500 for Charging CAZ*) HEV and £1,500 for Euro 6 minibus/WAV) • Planning to offer an EV ‘assessment service’ (delivered by a service provider, funded by ERDF and Clean Air Fund) and ‘free EV trial opportunities’ • 2020 - £12.50 charge per day for hackney carriage and private hire vehicles that do not meet Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel standards • Council administered interest free loans of up to £10,000 (council capital, cost of loans from Defra’s Clean Air Fund63) or grants of up 64 to £1,500 (Leeds City Council’s Early Measures Funded ), 6- month temporary extension to apply for loan or grant for a ULEV (Charging CAZ*) • Working with Highways England to offer free vehicle trials for up to two months. • Electric, petrol hybrid or LPG hackney carriage and private hire vehicles may be licensed up to 12 years • Emissions standards introduced May 2018 • 2018 – New vehicles must be at least Euro 5 petrol or Euro 6 diesel (Euro Emissions based, phased ULEV**) • 2021 – All vehicles must be at least Euro 5 petrol or Euro 6 diesel • 2029 – All vehicles must be ULEV or petrol hybrid • CAZ compliant fleet followed by phased ULEZ adoption • 2020 – All hackney carriage vehicles must be at least Euro 6 • 2025 – New vehicles must be ULEV (Go Ultra Low City*,**) • 2030 – All vehicles must be ULEV • Nottingham – LEVC TX ‘try before you buy scheme’, free rental for 30 days. Council owned vehicles acquired through the Early Measures Fund. • Nottingham – Council run electric vehicle maintenance and servicing centre (Nottingham Electric Vehicle Services) that caters (Phased ULEV introduction) for a range of vehicles including taxis
• Revised policy agreed in April 2018 • Since 1 April 2020 – New saloon vehicles must be a ULEV or ZEV • 2028 – All saloon vehicles must be ULEV or ZEV • 2028 – All WAVs must be ULEV or ZEV (to be reviewed in 2026) • Reduction of total % of WAV hackney carriages to 50% to encourage the uptake of ULEVs • Licence fee exemption for ZEV for up to 5 years, 50% discount for (Early phased ULEV ULEV for up to 5 years adoption,**) • 9 year age limit for non-ULEV, 12 year age limit for ULEV, 15 year age limit for ZEV • 2029 – To restrict city centre access to ULEZ and ZEV licensed vehicles only
Licensing Authority Proposed Policy Changes and Incentives (* = access to Clean Air Fund, ** = winner of ULEV Taxi (Top Level Approach) Infrastructure Scheme) • Revised policy agreed in April 2019 • 2020 - £8 charge per day for hackney carriage and private hire vehicles that do not meet Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel standards • 2020 – maximum age limit of 15 years for hackney carriage vehicles and 12 years for private hire vehicles • 2021 – New vehicles must be ULEV or zero emission capable (Charging CAZ*,**, Early • 2030 – New vehicles must be ZEV, to be reviewed in 2025 phased ULEV adoption) • DEFRA funding – £2.75m for the council to buy a fleet of electric taxis to be rented by drivers on a long term or ‘try before you buy’ basis, £5,000 financial incentive for up to 1,000 hackney carriage vehicles, up to £2,500 towards the running costs of ULEV private hire vehicles • Phased emission-based condition for the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles • 2019 – New vehicles must meet Euro 6 • 2020 – New vehicles must have zero emission capability • 2024 – All vehicles must have zero emission capability • Go Electric Taxi Scheme (two-week test drive of LEVC TX, £2,500 financial incentives for first 60 drivers). Funded by the (Early phased ULEV Office of Low Emission Vehicles, the Clean Air Fund and the adoption*,**) project partners, vehicles managed by LEVC.
Table 13 6: Vehicle Age and Emissions Policy Best Practice (England)
ACC’s proposal to revise licensing conditions to meet LEZ emissions standards, supported by an enforced maximum age limit, is aligned with the approach proposed by Glasgow, Edinburgh and other cities aiming to achieve LEZ / CAZ compliance in short timescales. Without a substantial package of supporting measures ACC’s policy is not expected to encourage the uptake of plug-in taxi and private hire vehicles. Local authorities such as Dundee, Cambridge, Birmingham and Coventry City Council have favoured the early and phased introduction of ULEVs without the intermediate regulatory introduction of improved Euro standards. These authorities will require new vehicles to be ULEV or ZEV from the early 2020s, and all vehicles to be ULEV or ZEV by 2030. In the short term, there are several significant barriers to the adoption of plug-in vehicles in taxi and private hire fleets. Previous trade engagement has highlighted two main areas of concern: • Initial purchase cost premium vs. an equivalent diesel vehicle (with cost parity not expected until the mid- 2020s65) – Current preference is to purchase used vehicles outright – Difficulty in accessing low cost finance – Rapid development of technology may delay purchasing of EVs • Access to charging infrastructure and perception of limited driving range / long recharge times – Limited public infrastructure – No access to off-street parking for home charging
63 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/260-million-of-clean-air-funding-launched-by-government 64 https://cleanairleeds.co.uk/campaign/new-fund-announced-help-leeds-organisations-support-sustainable-travel 65 https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/press-releases/articles/21-million-more-electric-vehicles-expected-worldwide- by-2030.html
Incentives aimed at addressing these issues will be most successful in encouraging the uptake of plug-in taxi and private hire vehicles. ACC should investigate the feasibility of the following incentives for plug-in vehicles (with preference given to BEVs). • Financial incentives such as interest free loans or grants towards operating costs (e.g. licence fees, vehicle testing etc.) • Providing opportunities for short term test drives and ‘try before you buy’ schemes • Provision of adequate charging infrastructure, consideration of on-street residential charging or alternatives such as charging hubs
Table 13-7 summarises the main advantages and risks / areas of improvement for ACC’s vehicle age and emissions policy Table 13-7: Appraisal of Current Vehicle Age and Emissions Policy
Advantages Risks / Areas for Improvement
• Environmental considerations must be included in the development of future mixed fleet policy options • Supply of suitable plug-in WAVs is likely to remain constrained • Unrestrictive policy towards accepted vehicle in the short term types on taxi licence ensures that vehicles • Low market maturity for WAV conversion of battery electric are appropriate for use (allowing many small vans WAVs to be small van derived conversions rather than purpose built hackney carriage • Exclusion of small cars, hatchbacks and SUVs could vehicles) negatively impact the uptake of plug-in vehicles – vehicle segments are typically driven by the passenger car and • 5-year (standard passenger vehicle) and 10- commercial vehicle markets year (WAV) maximum age limits for new vehicles provides an indirect control over • Maximum age limit not required for ZEV from an environmental fleet emissions standards (with vehicles perspective and will limit the business case for switching to replaced in 2020 and 2025 Euro 6 by default) plug-in vehicles • Proposed compliance with LEZ Euro • Proposed compliance with LEZ emissions standards is less emissions standards is an agreement with aspirational than Dundee and several other cities in the UK. the approach proposed by Glasgow and Any new conventional vehicles will continue to contribute to Aberdeen greenhouse gas and air quality emissions (although at a potentially lower level). This policy alone is not expected to encourage the uptake of plug-in vehicles and does not provide certainty to the trade regarding future tightening of minimum emissions standards
13.4 Chargepoint Infrastructure Taxi and private hire operators and drivers will need charging infrastructure to support the uptake of plug-in vehicles. The extent to which they can share public points or need their own infrastructure will depend on what measures are put in place to encourage or mandate uptake. In the absence of changes to licensing policy supported by financial measures (such as interest free loans and grants), uptake will be low and, therefore, it may not be appropriate to provide dedicated infrastructure which would be under-utilised. However, if policy is changed and measures are implemented, such that a significant proportion of the fleet will switch to plug-in vehicles, then dedicated infrastructure would be needed. Separate work would be required to look into this, once ACC has made a decision about taxi licensing policy. In the short-term, taxi operators are of course able to choose to switch to plug-in vehicles, either as a point of difference with customers, or for the financial and environmental associated benefits. In these cases, infrastructure should primarily be provided at the taxi depot, if vehicles are returned there between shifts, or at drivers’ homes, if they take vehicles home at night. In either case, the chargepoint should be paid for by either the operator or driver, depending on the individual business situation. As and when uptake of plug-in taxis becomes larger and dedicated infrastructure is needed, sample locations that could be considered include: • City centre taxi ranks: Back Wynd, Chapel Street, Dee Street and Hadden Street.
• Stations: possibly only at the main rail station, depending on footfall and taxi pick up frequency at other stations. • Airports: opposite the main airport terminal and at Bristow’s heliport. • Aberdeen South Harbour to service cruise ship passenger demand. • Large supermarkets and other major retail sites: e.g. Asda Dyce, Asda Middleton, Tesco Rousay Drive, Tesco Wellington Road, Asda Aberdeen Beach • Hospitals: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary • Sites where taxi drivers already take breaks, such as cafes frequented by the trade. Further analysis of chargepoint infrastructure is not in scope of this report.
14 Freight and Delivery Vehicles 14.1 Vehicles and Emissions As discussed in Section 6, cars are by far the most numerous vehicle type in Aberdeen. There are nearly 95,000 cars registered in the city, compared to just 9,000 vans and fewer than 1,200 HGVs. However, these figures are not in proportion to the contribution of each vehicle type to pollution and CO2 emissions, as shown in Table 14-1 below. Table 14-1: 2019 emission values from road transport in Aberdeen City calculated in Section 8
2019 Emissions Values
Cars HGVs LGVs Petrol Diesel Rigids Artics
% of total vehicles 56.1% 30.9% 8.2% 0.6% 0.3%
% of CO2 total emissions 39.5% 28.5% 16.5% 4.6% 6.5%
% of NOx total emissions 5.5% 37.5% 22.6% 6.3% 13.5%
% of PM total emissions 4.3% 50.9% 21.0% 4.2% 9.0%
While cars are the largest contributor to pollution and CO2 emissions, the contribution from commercial vehicles is significant. Vans and HGVs are responsible for 28% of CO2 emissions, 42% of NOx emissions and 34% of PM emissions. Emissions from commercial vehicles are disproportionate to the number of these vehicles on the road, because of the high levels of emissions from individual vehicles, the relatively high number of older (pre-Euro 6/VI) vehicles on the road, and the lack of CO2 emissions standards for HGVs. In addition, this data is likely to underestimate actual emissions from vans and HGVs in Aberdeen. The emissions calculations are based on DfT registration data and as such don’t account for emissions from vehicles which are registered elsewhere and operate within Aberdeen. Given the city’s location, the presence of a large port, and its industrial links, there is likely to be a significant volume of commercial vehicles coming into and passing through the city which are not captured in the data. Freight and delivery vehicles must be included in the scope of any comprehensive and effective plan to reduce road transport emissions.
14.2 Suggestions to Facilitate ULEV Uptake This section presents a longlist of suggestions that ACC could implement to reduce emissions from freight vehicles. They have been developed from the analysis presented in section 6 and from an understanding of best practice in other cities in the UK. They are not based on a detailed review of logistics movements in and around Aberdeen, and further work will be required to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of each option. 14.2.1 Infrastructure Increasing chargepoint and refuelling network coverage is likely to be the most effective measure to stimulate ULEV uptake by van and HGV operators. ACC should work with the private sector, including SSE, to facilitate a step-change in the provision of chargepoint infrastructure for plug-in vans and support the development of a gas refuelling network. Locations for publicly available chargepoints for vans have been covered in previous sections of this report and we assume that these will be shared between cars and vans, unless there are restrictions (such as height restrictions) which prevent access by some vans. In addition, infrastructure can be provided on private sector land such as: • Fleet depots where vans are kept overnight. • Industrial estates, retail parks or other commercial properties which receive significant numbers of van deliveries.
In line with ACC’s guidance, these are not considered in detail in this report, as chargepoint sites on private land are not included. We would encourage ACC to work with van fleet operators to consider where chargepoints would best support electric commercial vehicle fleets, with installations on private property being funded by the relevant landowner. Key sites, including industrial estates, have already been mapped in this report and, therefore, this information is not repeated here. The number of plug-in HGVs is likely to remain low through at least the first half of the 2020s and, therefore, chargepoint infrastructure numbers or sites for these vehicles are not proposed. ACC will need to review this need later this decade. Provision of gas refuelling infrastructure will be led by the private sector, but public sector intervention could help focus and accelerate the process. Specific actions could include: • Providing a clear policy signal that actively encourages increased use of plug-in vans and gas HGVs and infrastructure. • Working with landowners and developers to help infrastructure providers access suitable sites. • Ensuring that the council’s planning processes continues to support deployment of recharging and refuelling infrastructure.
14.2.2 Fleet Support and Engagement Across the UK, uptake of plug-in vans has been relatively slow, despite the availability of government incentives to assist with capital and operating costs. This suggests that other barriers exist, such as a lack of knowledge about plug-in vans and lack of confidence in their operational and financial real-world performance. ACC could deliver a fleet support and engagement package to offer high impact strategic support and advice to help fleets assess, trial and implement plug-in vehicles. A proposed package could include technology familiarisation, fleet reviews, technology evaluation, ULEV trials, and ULEV deployment. 14.2.3 Engagement with Freight Operators A Freight Working Group could be set up to provide structured engagement and collaboration between stakeholders. This should be done in collaboration with NESTRANS who have, in the past, held a freight forum on a yearly basis. In the absence of control over freight operators’ vehicle deployment decisions, facilitating communication and collaboration between stakeholders may help encourage ULEV uptake. A Freight Working Group could include representatives from ACC departments, van and HGV operators including public sector organisations and local freight trade associations. The group could aim to: • Ensure operators are kept up to date with the latest technology developments, vehicle availability and funding opportunities. • Develop and submit funding applications. Develop partnerships between local authorities, freight operators, vehicle manufacturers and infrastructure providers to deliver demonstration projects and disseminate results. • Explore options for joint procurement to reduce the costs of vehicles and infrastructure. • Discuss the barriers to accelerate ULEV adoption and work to identify and implement solutions. • Ensure alignment with other strategies and activities across Scotland.
14.2.4 Signposting and Awareness Raising There are several tools and information sources already available which fleets in Aberdeen may not be aware of and which can help fleets make informed decisions about ULEVs, including: • The Freight Portal66 which has been created by Energy Saving Trust in partnership with the DfT and LowCVP. The portal supports the DfT’s Road to Zero strategy by providing advice to freight operators and directing them towards a range of schemes to help achieve lower costs and emissions. • LoCITY Commercial Vehicle Finder67 which provides fleet operators with information about the range of alternatively fuelled commercial vehicles on the market.
66 Freight Portal: https://thefreightportal.org/ 67 LoCITY Commercial Vehicle Finder: https://locity.org.uk/locity-commercial-vehicle-finder/
• LoCITY Fleet Advice Tool68 which helps fleets analyse the TCO of different fuels and technologies. • The LowCVP Low Emission Van Guide69 with best practice guidance for van operators to reduce costs and emissions, primarily by switching to ULEVs. • Financial incentives, including OLEV’s plug-in van grant and extension for HGVs, the workplace charging scheme, and the CNG fuel duty incentive.
14.2.5 Certification Fleet recognition and certification schemes offer an incentive to operators to improve environmental standards and reduce emissions. There are already several schemes which provide standards and accreditation for fleets, including the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), Freight Transport Association (FTA), Van Excellence and EcoStars. ACC could encourage uptake of ULEVs through these schemes via the following actions: • Engaging with the organisations listed above to explore options for increased use of ULEVs by their members and accredited fleets. • Assessing the benefits, drawbacks and effectiveness of these schemes with a view to promoting one or more of them or supporting development of a new regional accreditation scheme. • Implementing a requirement for an environmental certification scheme such as EcoStars or FORS Gold in public sector procurement contracts.
14.2.6 Encourage use of Biodiesel Encourage HGV fleets to increase their use of high blend biodiesel and HVO as bridging fuels if other options are not viable could be considered. High blend biodiesel and HVO can deliver significant GHG emissions benefits. They are best suited to HGV fleets which use depot-based bunkered fuel. If fleets are unable to use plug-in, biomethane or hydrogen vehicles, biodiesel or HVO should be considered. Specific actions could include: • Undertaking a supplier engagement exercise to increase availability of these fuels in Aberdeen. • Meeting with representatives of low emission freight programmes such as FORS and EcoStars to develop options for incentivising and rewarding use of these fuels.
14.2.7 Retrofit Provide information about the benefits of retrofit systems and support operators with access to funding could be helpful. Retrofitting older HGVs with exhaust after-treatment equipment to reduce tailpipe pollutant emissions is a cost-effective alternative to replacing these vehicles with new models. Vehicles are typically fitted with selective catalytic reduction systems which can reduce NOx emissions by at least 50% and up to 90%, allowing Euro V vehicles to meet Euro VI emissions standards. Retrofit is particularly useful for HGVs fitted with specialist or expensive equipment which are therefore intended to have a long lifecycle. Specific actions could include: • Undertaking a supplier engagement exercise to better understand the market for these products, covering availability, performance and cost. • Facilitating collaborative procurement to reduce costs.
14.2.8 Trials and Demonstrations In other studies, we have found that ULEV uptake is constrained by a lack of trust in vehicle suppliers’ data and uncertainty about whether to invest in gas and/or hydrogen. Testing and proving vehicles’ operational, financial and environmental performance in real-world applications can be very effective in overcoming these barriers. ACC could help operators access funding for trials and demonstrators and facilitate partnerships between fleets, manufacturers and infrastructure providers. It could even help position the city as an
68 LoCITY: https://locity.org.uk/ 69 LowCVP Low Emission Van Guide: https://www.lowcvp.org.uk/assets/reports/Low_Emission_Van_Guide_2019_Update.pdf
exemplar for the demonstration and deployment of new HGV technologies such as fuel cell articulated trucks. Specific actions could include: • Ensuring funding applications and trials reflect current and forecast technology performance and vehicle availability. For example, it may be sensible to invest in (or attract investment in) hydrogen HGV projects from 2025, given the two hydrogen refuelling facilities in Aberdeen. In the short term, funding should focus on plug-in light rigid trucks and biomethane articulated vehicles. • Monitoring and signposting funding opportunities from the EC, UK Government and Scottish Government. For example, facilitating discussions with the EC’s Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU)70 could help attract significant R&D funding.
14.2.9 Further Work These suggestions are based on high level estimates of freight vehicle numbers and associated emissions, and a review of best practice elsewhere in the UK. Further feasibility work will be required before implementing these recommendations. 14.3 Case Study: LoCITY LoCITY was launched by TfL in 2016 to increase the supply and uptake of low emission commercial vehicles. LoCITY is a five-year industry-led collaborative programme that brings together fleet operators, central and local government, other public sector organisations, vehicle manufacturers, and refuelling and recharging suppliers to improve air quality. This industry-led, collaborative approach has proved to be hugely successful and could be adopted by other cities seeking to reduce the impact of freight on the environment. The programme objectives are to: • Support freight and fleet operators, vehicle manufacturers and infrastructure suppliers to increase the availability and uptake of ultralow and zero emission commercial vehicles. • Support London’s boroughs in upgrading fleets to cleaner vehicles and alternative fuels. • Prepare the freight industry for the introduction and expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). • Aid the reduction in air pollution in London to deliver health benefits for Londoners, and help meet targets on climate change.
LoCITY is achieving these objectives through the following work areas: • Working groups: four working groups were set up to provide expert advice and guidance on the programme direction and its outputs. Working groups are attended by fleets, manufacturers, infrastructure providers, local authorities and trade associations. • Roadshows: free of charge interactive roadshows are organised to help operators experience the latest ultra-low emission commercial vehicles. Roadshows cover urban distribution, last-mile delivery, waste and construction, and renewable fuels and retrofit solutions. • Research: market and technical research covering attitudes and barriers towards low emission commercial vehicles and options for alternative fuels and technologies, including technology readiness, cost and emissions. • Driver training: LoCITY Driving is a classroom-based course that focuses on minimising the environmental impact of vans and HGVs through journey planning, vehicle checks, fuel-efficient driving, and alternative fuels. • Tools: the LoCITY Fleet Advice Tool provides fleets with the cost impact and emission benefits of low emission commercial vehicles. The Commercial Vehicle Finder provides fleets with information about the alternatively fuelled commercial vehicles on the market. • Fleet SME support: direct member support for SMEs, including a telemetry service, and a support point via web or phone conference.
70 FCH JU: https://www.fch.europa.eu/
15 Complementary Measures 15.1 Measures and Incentives In this section a long list of potential measures and incentives is provided together with the results of a high- level assessment of each option. Each option is described with the main advantages and disadvantages outlined accounting for the expected impact, cost to ACC and ease of implementation. Recommendations are made as to whether ACC should take each option forward for further consideration. For those that are recommended, it is emphasised that this is an initial framework document and as such does not provide a detailed assessment of each measure with respect to local conditions. Further feasibility work will form part of ACC’s delivery planning which should be undertaken following a review of the strategy- level assessment provided here. 15.1.1 Local Development Plan Guidance ACC should continue to provide EV charging standards for new developments in the Local Development Plan (LDP) in order to encourage EV uptake and chargepoint installation. This option should be taken forward for further consideration. 15.1.2 Guidance for existing developments ACC should provide guidance for existing developments to encourage developers to install charge points independently. This guidance could include: • Information about chargepoint types • Why chargepoints are good for business • Considerations for installation • Where to access funding • Case studies of other companies who have previously installed chargepoints
This option should be taken forward for further consideration. 15.1.3 Demand Management Tools Replacing petrol and diesel cars with equivalent numbers of EVs will not tackle congestion. Aberdeen will need to implement demand management tools to reduce private car use in the city. One option is to encourage use of Park & Ride sites. This is already a strategic priority for the Council and as such is not discussed here. Evidence from Nottingham indicates that a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) is a highly effective example of a demand management tool. A WPL charges an employer that provides workplace parking. Employers can reclaim part or all the cost of the WPL from their employees. The aim is to encourage employers to reduce the number of free workplace parking bays and/or encourage staff to switch to alternative modes of transport. A WPL can be used to increase EV uptake in two ways: exemptions to the WPL could be provided to staff who drive an EV and/or revenues raised by the charge can be used to fund chargepoint infrastructure and other measures to encourage EV use. • WPLs can significantly reduce emissions and congestion while also providing a revenue stream to support investment in chargepoints, shared mobility and public transport. • WPLs can appear to be controversial and may meet resistance initially from business and motoring groups. However, Nottingham City Council has successfully introduced a WPL (see the case study below) and has overcome these objections through dialogue with key stakeholders and by making high profile investments in public transport. Other demand management tools, such as a congestion charging, are likely to meet with more resistance. Based on Nottingham’s success it is recommended that consideration is given to implementing a WPL as the primary demand management tool. This should go alongside investment in public and active travel which, while not directly demand management tools, will reduce demand management by encouraging modal shift. This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.4 Public Engagement In the UK there is relatively little understanding and awareness of the benefits of plug-in vehicles among private vehicle owners. The Go Ultra Low (GUL) campaign, a joint government and car industry initiative, aims to address this by providing facts and information to help people make informed decisions about plug-in vehicles. More detail on the GUL campaign is provided in the case study section below. ACC could implement a similar campaign, using channels including their website, social media and local press and radio. These and other options for public engagement are considered in more detail, as well as how to target specific user groups, in Section 17. • A public engagement campaign can be an effective and relatively low-cost way of increasing awareness of and positive attitudes towards EVs. It is also flexible, allowing different approaches to be taken, such as a wide-reaching campaign to reach a broad audience or using more targeted channels to reach specific groups. There might be the possibility to work with suppliers and manufacturers in the automotive industry to jointly engage the public. • The only potential drawback is that some people may question use of public funds for this purpose. ACC should consider using only low-cost options such as press releases, interviews and online promotion via partners (such as local authority and Nestrans websites). This option should be taken forward for further consideration. 15.1.5 Business Engagement ACC does not have any direct control over fleet purchasing decisions and therefore should explore other options to encourage EV uptake. This could include setting up fleet working groups (divided into a car group and van group), attended by ACC, fleet operators and trade associations. The objectives of these groups should be to: • Ensure fleet operators are kept up to date with the latest technology developments, vehicle availability and funding opportunities. • Explore options for joint procurement to reduce the costs of vehicles and infrastructure. • Discuss the barriers to accelerate EV adoption and work to identify and implement solutions.
ACC could also work with private companies in the EV industry in order to facilitate workshops or events for businesses, though this will have less long-term impact than a working group. This option should be taken forward for further consideration. 15.1.6 Fleet Reviews Around half of new car sales are to fleets rather than private buyers. In addition, a single fleet decision maker may be responsible for procurement decisions on hundreds or even thousands of vehicles a year. Incentives to encourage increased fleet adoption of EVs can therefore be very effective and efficient. Fleet adoption of EVs is currently constrained by uncertainty over operational, environmental and financial performance. This is linked to a lack of trust in information and data provided by vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. Fleet reviews, performed by organisations including the Energy Saving Trust and Cenex, provide bespoke, independent information about EV suitability and could help overcome this issue and act as a strong incentive to encourage uptake. Nottingham City Council took this a step further with a “try before you buy” scheme running alongside fleet reviews to allow fleets to test ULEVs’ credentials in everyday operations. Loan vehicles were supplied by a leasing industry partner and a post-trial fleet review is undertaken to quantify potential savings and recommend any necessary fleet operational changes. • Providing fleet reviews can be a very cost-effective way of stimulating EV adoption, as a single fleet decision maker can control purchase decisions for hundreds or thousands of vehicles. • As long as the scheme complies with State Aid legislation, there are no significant drawbacks associated with providing funded fleet reviews. • ACC could refer fleets to organisations which provide fleet reviews.
This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.7 Leading by Example: ACC’s fleet The Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019/20 sets out transport actions which included creating the conditions to phase out the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles in Scotland’s public sector fleet by 2030, and phasing out the need for all new petrol and diesel cars and light vans from the public sector fleet by 2025. ACC’s budget 2020/21 includes a requirement for Operations and Protective Services to replace all fleet vehicles with alternative powered vehicles (where such vehicles were available in the open market) as part of the rolling programme and within the allocated budget for that programme. It is understood that work is underway involving Energy Saving Trust, details of which have not been provided, and therefore can’t be reviewed. However, this is likely to involve looking at the suitability of EVs for ACC’s fleet. ACC may also consider exceeding the national (Scottish) pledge to phase out the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles in council fleets by 2030 and phasing out the need for all petrol and diesel cars from the public sector fleet by 2025. ACC could also ensure that during evaluation of tenders and bids, scoring is weighted to reward submissions which demonstrate increased EV use over the contract lifecycle. Depending on the outcome of EST’s analysis, this area of work should be taken forward.
15.1.8 Incentivisation via Procurement ACC can incentivise additional EV uptake via its own procurement processes. The public sector procures multi-billion pounds worth of goods and services from the private sector annually. This spending power gives organisations significant influence over the market by using procurement standards to increase EV uptake. ACC should also ensure that EVs are used wherever feasible in their fleet operations and in their supply chains. • The main advantage of this approach is that it can significantly increase private sector acquisition and use of EVs. It also demonstrates that ACC are leading by example in working to achieve the targets for the city. • If contract providers are required to invest in EVs, they may pass some costs through to the commissioning organisation, thereby increasing cost to the public purse.
This option should be taken forwards for further consideration.
15.1.9 Free Parking Providing free parking for EVs whilst charging will help incentivise vehicle owners to switch to an electric vehicle and provide good publicity for switching to EVs. However, there is the potential for EV owners to abuse the system, such is the case in Fife, where drivers whose cars would take an hour to charge were leaving their vehicles in these spaces for up to six hours71. It would also run contrary to ACC’s aim to encourage active travel and use of public transport. • Free parking for EVs has the potential to incentivise vehicle owners to switch to EVs. • In order to stop drivers abusing the system, overstay penalties or maximum stay times should be implemented alongside this (see Section 16 for more information).
This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.10 Car Clubs Car clubs reduce the number of private cars on the road and reduce the number and distance of journeys made in cars. They can help with decarbonisation and easing congestion as well as providing inner city residents, who may not have parking facilities, with easy access to vehicles. They are also accessible to low income households who may not be able to afford a vehicle outright helping to provide social equality in an area.
71 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/31/electric-car-drivers-abusing-charging-scheme-get-free-parking/
Co-Wheels currently provides EVs and hydrogen vehicles as part of its Car Club offer in Aberdeen and ACC has already provided charging bays throughout the city, both dedicated to car club vehicles and shared with the general public. • ACC can continue to support its car club operator by providing more dedicated parking spaces with the condition that any new vehicles should be low emission. • ACC should work with Co-Wheels on a strategy for dedicated Car Club charging infrastructure at these parking spaces.
This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.11 Co-Location of Facilities Co-locating amenities such as shopping, refreshments and Wi-Fi lounges at chargepoints not only benefits drivers in terms of added convenience and enabling drivers to run errands and/or work whilst their vehicle is charging but also provides business opportunities for the facility providers. These facilities will not be used solely by EV drivers but also local residents. This presents an opportunity to expose residents to EVs through visual cues and engage with non-EV drivers and promote the benefits of EVs. • ACC could work with private businesses and SMEs in order to understand how co-locating facilities at chargepoints can benefit usage rate of chargepoints as well as create business opportunities for facility providers. • These sites represent an opportunity to engage with non-EV owners and ACC should look at a variety of communication channels in order to promote EVs.
This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.12 Emissions-based Parking Charges Some local authorities, mostly in London, have implemented emissions-based parking charges since 2018 to incentivise motorists to choose lower emission vehicles. A common approach is to set banded charges for resident and business parking permits based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions. Permits for those with the least polluting vehicles will be cheaper than current permits, while those with the most polluting vehicles will pay more. However, to date these have generally been focused on increasing uptake of Clean Air Zone or Ultra Low Emission Zone compliant petrol and diesel vehicles. ACC would be at the forefront of efforts to use parking charges specifically to incentivise plug-in vehicle uptake, so we are unable to draw on relevant evidence from other authorities. Parking measures are likely to be highly visible and benefit all local EV drivers, whether they recharge predominantly at home or at public chargepoints. Parking policy is usually under the control of a local authority, making the implementation of high-impact, low-cost changes feasible in a relatively short space of time and measures can be adapted to suit local requirements. For more information please refer to a guide published by Energy Saving Trust which contains useful information on parking policies for EVs72. This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.13 Educational Programmes with Schools Providing educational programmes at schools can help to indirectly influence drivers. Messages should focus on the environmental benefits, particularly around air quality. Pod Point has developed an electric schools campaign with materials that could be used to help develop an appropriate programme73. We would recommend ACC review this programme and consider working with schools to deploy this toolkit. At this
72 https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/Local%20Authority%20Guidance%20- %20Positioning%20chargepoints.pdf 73 https://pod-point.com/campaigns/electric-schools
stage we have no further insight into the potential effectiveness of educational programmes or how they might be designed. This option should be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.14 Renewable Energy Generation and Energy Storage In-depth consideration of the potential for renewable energy generation and energy storage to support ULEV use in Aberdeen is outside the scope of this strategy. However, we note that this is an area of interest for ACC. The UK’s electricity grid will be decarbonised steadily over the next few years, but GHG emissions will always be higher than if 100% renewable electricity is used. Renewable energy generation is, therefore, strategically important and can help maximise the environmental benefits of ULEVs. It can also contribute to energy security and help reposition Aberdeen as the Energy Capital of Europe. A study would be required to assess the potential for renewable energy to meet the energy requirements for ULEVs and propose recommendations to unlock this potential. This should include consideration of: • Local and regional onshore and offshore wind, solar and/or tidal power. • On-site micro-generation of electricity from renewable energy to power rapid chargepoint hubs and chargepoints at bus garages and fleet depots. This may also include using second life batteries for energy storage. • Combining renewable energy generation with smart charging and vehicle to grid (V2G) to reduce upstream impacts on the electricity grid. • Using ‘excess’ energy from renewable sources at times of low demand to produce hydrogen for use in road transport.
This option should be taken forward for further consideration. More information on renewables, energy storage and smart charging can be found in the Appendix.
15.1.15 Grants and Financial Incentives Grants and financial incentives can be a direct way of encouraging uptake of EVs and supporting infrastructure. Norway and other countries have implemented successful incentive schemes which have reduced upfront purchase costs of EVs. The Scottish Government already offers interest free loans of up to £35,000 for a new EV through the Energy Saving Trust. ACC could offer additional financial incentives such as grants or discounts for vehicles and/or infrastructure: • The benefits of providing financial assistance are straightforward. They can make it attractive for businesses and consumers to acquire and operate EVs, compared to petrol or diesel alternatives. • There is a significant drawback with vehicle grants at a local or regional level, which is that there is no easy way to ensure that benefits are retained within that area. Even if grants are only provided to households in the study area, vehicles could be primarily used for longer journeys and therefore the city would not achieve any local environmental benefits. Direct grants and similar financial incentives should be provided at the national level only. • Direct grants are also subject to the risk of arbitrage where households purchase a discounted vehicle and then sell it on for a profit.
This option should NOT be taken forwards for further consideration.
15.1.16 Vehicle Scrappage Significant emissions benefits can be achieved by accelerating the rate at which older, more polluting vehicles are removed from the road. Carefully designed and targeted scrappage schemes can be effective in achieving this objective. For cars there are two possible options for a scrappage scheme. Recipients could receive cash towards the cost of acquiring a new plug-in vehicle or mobility credits which can be used on a range of transport modes including public transport, car clubs and shared bicycles. Eligibility could be restricted to low income
households to contribute towards goals around inclusivity and reducing transport poverty. A similar model has been taken by TfL which launched its ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme in November 2019. A similar scheme for vans would provide funding towards the cost of purchasing and/or leasing an EV. Eligibility could be restricted to micro-businesses and charities to ensure funding is targeted towards organisations that need it most. A similar scheme launched by TfL in 2019 has helped mitigate the economic impact of the ULEZ on these organisations. • Scrappage schemes help remove the oldest, most polluting vehicles from the road. This is more effective in terms of emissions reductions than increasing adoption of new ULEVs. • However, scrappage schemes can be very expensive and need to be designed and managed carefully to ensure they only benefit intended recipients. In addition, consideration of the holistic sustainability impacts is important, as there are environmental disbenefits associated with early removal of vehicles from the road. Vehicles, particularly EVs, have significant embedded emissions from the manufacturing process, so the full ‘cradle to grave’ emissions should be assessed when considering scrappage.
This option should NOT be taken forward for further consideration. 15.1.17 Stimulating the Used EV Market A buoyant used market for EVs helps to increase resale values and confidence in predicted resale values, which in turn encourages uptake of new vehicles by fleets and leasing companies. ACC could explore options to boost the used EV market, for example, by providing training to dealers and auction houses to help them acquire and dispose of more EVs. • As noted above, the main benefit of this would be to improve market confidence around residual values. • Energy Saving Trust is already working with key organisations in this sector including the National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA), British Car Auctions (BCA) and dealer groups. ACC may find it is duplicating these efforts and that resources should be better targeted to other areas.
This option should NOT be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.18 Zero Emission Zones If the ‘nudge’ measures outlined in this section fail to achieve an increase in EV adoption, ACC may need to explore more direct measures. One direct measure that ACC could explore is a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ). Non-compliant vehicles (all those with tailpipe emissions) could be banned from these areas, or operators could be required to pay a daily charge to enter the zone. • ZEZs can be effective in improving air quality in urban areas. • ZEZs have significant drawbacks, not least that they generally target low income households and small businesses which tend to run older cars and vans. They can also be very expensive to set up, requiring new signage, cameras for enforcement and a back office administrative system. They are likely to meet significant resistance from fleets and consumers.
This option should NOT be taken forward for further consideration.
15.1.19 Bus Lane Access for ULEVs Allowing plug-in vehicles to use bus lanes could incentivise uptake by reducing journey times for drivers of these vehicles. This has been trialled in Nottingham and Oslo. However, we observe that: • As plug-in vehicle use increases, this will cause congestion in bus lanes, reducing bus journey time reliability • It will incentivise private car use in the city which run contrary to ACC’s aims to increase public transport use and active travel • It will not be possible to monitor the effectiveness of this measure; drivers may have acquired a plug-in vehicle anyway.
• It will require additional signage, road markings, and updates to the bus lane infringement enforcement systems
This option should NOT be taken forward for further consideration.
15.2 Case Studies A series of short case studies have been assembled to provide more detail specifically around the complementary measures described above and are presented in this section. They provide real-world examples where such schemes have proved to be successful in encouraging EV uptake. 15.2.1 Chargepoint Infrastructure: Dundee City Council Dundee City Council (DCC) has implemented a wide range of measures to increase ULEV uptake, focused primarily around delivering a step-change in chargepoint infrastructure availability. There are now over 100 chargepoints in the city and DCC is investing in rapid chargepoint hubs based at key community locations such as shops and cafes. In some cases, hubs are supported by solar canopies and battery storage to help mitigate peak power demand. Infrastructure provision has been supported by significant funding from OLEV. Crucially, DCC has collaborated with nearby local authorities to ensure regional interoperability of infrastructure. It has also led by example, with over 100 EVs now in the council’s own fleet. 15.2.2 Workplace Parking Levy: Nottingham City Council Nottingham City Council introduced a WPL in 2011-12, using powers granted by the Transport Act (2000). The scheme levies a charge on employers which provide workplace parking, to encourage employers to reduce the number of free workplace parking bays and encourage staff to switch to alternative modes of transport. The current charge is £415 per parking space per year. All organisations are in scope of the levy, but those with 10 or fewer spaces benefit from a 100% exemption. This means the charge does not unfairly penalise SMEs, but the council has a comprehensive database of business parking spaces in Nottingham. Parking spaces for blue badge holders and emergency service vehicles are also exempt. Independent analysis estimated that the scheme achieves 99% compliance by employers. The scheme has generated total revenue of around £64m which has been used to attract additional funding, primarily from the government. The WPL plus matched government funding has helped extend the city’s tram network, redevelop the city’s railway station and contribute towards an electric bus network. These investments, funded in part by the WPL, mean that Nottingham now has some of the highest rates of public transport use among UK cities and has also seen a reduction in rush hour congestion. 15.2.3 Public Engagement: Go Ultra Low Go Ultra Low (GUL) is a joint government-industry marketing campaign, launched in 2014, which is increasing the uptake of ULEVs in the UK. In 2017, GUL launched a campaign to demonstrate how ULEVs can meet people’s driving needs by addressing a range of concerns including cost, driving range and charging. GUL used a wide range of media and communications channels including radio, video on demand, online, press and the GUL website to share real-life stories of ULEV owners’ experiences. GUL also developed four tools for potential ULEV owners and operators to assess the costs and benefits of operating plug-in vehicles. These included a journey cost saving calculator, a car tax calculator, a journey range calculator, and a home charging calculator. More than 600,000 people have visited the GUL website since October 2017 with over 115,000 landing on the tools and 19 million views of the ULEV owners’ videos. Research undertaken by OLEV found that 96% of respondents said the adverts made them feel more positive about ULEVs and intention to purchase a ULEV increased by 19% after the campaign. 15.2.4 Business Engagement and Fleet Reviews: Nottingham City Council Nottingham City Council is delivering a wide-ranging package of measures to increase fleet uptake of ULEVs funded through the Go Ultra Low City bid they won in 2017. Activity consists of three work packages: • Work package 1: Fleet Reviews. Organisations can benefit from fully funded ULEV fleet reviews to identify where plug-in vehicles may be operationally, environmentally and financially beneficial. Bronze reviews are offered to organisations which operate cars and vans only and have basic data available.
Silver reviews are offered to organisations which operate cars and vans only and have higher quality data available. Gold reviews, involving bespoke analysis, are offered to more complex fleets operating HGVs and other vehicles. • Work package 2: ULEV Fleet Experience. This is a “try before you buy” scheme to allow fleets to test ULEVs’ credentials in everyday operations. Loan vehicles are supplied by a leasing industry partner and a post-trial fleet review is undertaken to quantify potential savings and recommend any necessary fleet operational changes. • Work package 3: Events and Information. Nottingham City Council is delivering a series of fleet outreach and training events, covering topics including ULEV overviews, CAZs, chargepoint infrastructure and procurement, V2G and last mile delivery. This activity has been very successful. The fleet reviews have identified around 650 vehicles that could be transitioned to ULEVs, saving around 900 tonnes of CO2e per year. At the time of writing, 34 ULEVs have been provided to fleets in Nottingham through this scheme and 450 senior fleet decision makers have attended 20 events in the city.
16 Synergies with Other Activities 16.1 Introduction A review was undertaken to compare the recommendations for additional chargepoint infrastructure and other measures with other activity underway or planned in Aberdeen. This was to ensure that measures to increase EV uptake would fit well with other strategic activity in the city. The review concluded that Aberdeen had taken an holistic approach to managing transport in the city, with excellent strategies such as the City Centre Master Plan (CCMP) in place. This means that increased EV uptake and chargepoint provision can be integrated into existing plans and activities. 16.2 Chargepoints and tariffs ACC have acquired funding from Transport Scotland to deliver 3 rapid triple chargers and 4 double fast chargers in Aberdeen by January 2021. ACC’s preference is to locate all of the chargepoints together to create a charging hub at Frederick Street car park. This decision complements the analysis described in Section 9 of this report which showed Frederick Street car park to be the most suitable location for new charging infrastructure in Aberdeen. The Aberdeen Harbour Board are planning to install a rapid charger at Regent Quay and another rapid charger at North Pier where the harbour control tower is located. Though this will primarily be for their own vehicles, the charger at Regent Quay is near two locations shortlisted during site analysis (Virginia Street Car Park and Golden Square). ACC should investigate whether public use is an option, perhaps at certain times of day, or whether ACC could install chargepoints at the same location to create a chargepoint hub. ACC have implemented a chargepoint tariff of £0.19 per kWh from May 2020 with a connection fee of £0.38 and no minimum charge or overstay penalty. In this report we have recommended either a tariff based on a pay per hour/minute approach or a pay per kW tariff if applied with overstay penalties to encourage good charging behaviour. As discussed earlier both options have benefits and drawbacks, ACC will need to select the most appropriate option for its internal strategic priorities and local operating conditions. Tariff options and costings should be reviewed each year to ensure a fair tariff scheme is implemented that promotes good charging behaviours, allows for high chargepoint utilisation, and provides appropriate financial returns for investors. 16.3 Car park permits ACC currently operates on-street controlled parking zones (CPZs) in Aberdeen City. There are six inner core zones in which a household or business can only purchase one permit that must be associated with a specific vehicle registration (‘fixed’). Thereafter, in the outer city centre and peripheral CPZs, where there is greater capacity for on-street parking, a household or business can purchase two permits, where one must be ‘fixed’ and the other is ‘flexible’ in that it can be displayed on any vehicle associated with the property, be that for a second household car, or a visitor’s car. The charges for the CPZs are as follows: • Business use - £510 per year • Contractor - £560 per year • Residential - £60 per year for the 1st vehicle and £140 per year for a second vehicle (if applicable)
Waiving these fees for EVs could incentivise uptake by householders. While this would reduce revenue to ACC, this would be recouped indirectly through mitigated costs of lower emissions within the city. The reduction in revenue could be recouped more directly through increasing permit costs for higher emission vehicles. The engagement exercise planned for later in 2020 could be used to seek views on whether waiving these fees would be effective. 16.4 Regeneration and New Developments Regeneration programmes underway or planned in Aberdeen include the Aberdeen South Harbour extension currently under construction at Bay of Nigg, various Energetica developments, and regeneration plans for Tillydrone, Middlefield, Northfield and Torry. Provision of chargepoint infrastructure should be planned into these and other developments from the outset to ensure appropriate infrastructure is put in place. If the demographics of these areas change significantly, ACC should update the models described in Section 9 to ensure that the need for charging infrastructure is correctly accounted for.
Aberdeen has put in some guidance surrounding best practice on new developments in its Transport and Accessibility Supplementary Guidance which covers recommended active and passive chargepoint provision numbers as well as some guidance for non-residential sites for best practice. As discussed in section 10 of this report, it is recommended that a further guide, building on OLEV best practice (see Appendix A), should be produced to cover safety standards, electricity supply requirements and other best practice. 16.5 Low Emission Zone (LEZ) The introduction of a LEZ will help reduce use of older more polluting vehicles, while the EV Framework will lead to increased uptake of zero tailpipe emission vehicles. Taken together, the two measures will certainly improve the emissions performance of vehicles on Aberdeen’s roads. The LEZ also presents a clear opportunity for ACC to communicate the benefits of EVs to residents. It should be communicated clearly that EVs are exempt from LEZ charges and the whole life cost savings should be presented to the general public. See Section 16 for more information on public communication strategies. 16.6 Public Transport and Park & Ride Aberdeen should prioritise sustainable shared mobility, such as public transport. There are three park & ride facilities in the Aberdeen city area which encourage the use of public transport by offering free parking at these sites. The sites are strong potential sites for chargepoints, with either free or inexpensive charging offered to encourage public transport use and EV adoption. All three park & ride sites have been identified in the short list of recommended sites. This approach aligns increased EV uptake with ACC’s desire to reduce private car use. Public transport has the ability to reduce pollution by moving car drivers in single occupancy vehicles to a shared mode of transport, with multiple occupancy. Despite buses producing higher emissions per vehicle mile, per passenger mile they perform much better than privately owned cars. It is similarly important that public transport should be low or zero emission. ACC has already taken steps towards this goal with the introduction of hydrogen powered buses. However, a more in-depth zero emission bus strategy should be developed to accelerate the movement to low and zero emission public transport. 16.7 City Centre Master Plan (CCMP) In total, 49 physical development and infrastructure projects and nonphysical initiatives form the masterplan strategy. The projects are arranged and described under four thematic strategies, which address the key facets of urban development: economy, community, environment and infrastructure. Key projects which should be considered when implementing the EV Framework recommendations are: • New housing developments: During groundworks sufficient passive charging capacity should be built in. • Shopping centre expansions: If any expansion takes place, extra footfall should be accounted for and ACC should analyse how visitors travel to this facility and provide appropriate parking and charging, public transport or active travel provisions. • Traffic management including car bans on certain roads and one-way systems: Any plans for chargepoints in the areas highlighted for traffic removal or reduction should take this potential reduction in demand into account. • Bus priority and inclusive infrastructure: Priority to be given to buses through bus gates as well as bus only streets as well as providing a more enjoyable and inclusive experience for users. • Rail improvements: An airport rail link could potentially take away users from the Craibstone park and ride. This should be considered when looking to implement further chargepoints at this site. • Active travel: a variety of measures to encourage walking and cycling through infrastructure, hire schemes and increased priority over vehicles (see section below for more detail).
16.8 Roads Hierarchy Principles In 2017, ACC’s Communities Housing and Infrastructure Committee were asked to agree a set of Roads Hierarchy Principles (RHP). In summary, these principles are that: • Through traffic, peripheral traffic and traffic leaving Aberdeen is directed to the AWPR. • The city centre should be considered as a destination rather than a through route for vehicle traffic. • The benefits of the AWPR must be ‘locked in’ to prioritise the movement of active and sustainable travel
The Committee were also asked to agree a roads hierarchy with different route priorities for the city centre and other areas. It is important that measures to encourage EV uptake are aligned with these principles, particularly encouraging use of the AWPR and reducing unnecessary city centre traffic. The Framework and this report do this in two ways: • Strategic sites on or near the AWPR have been recommended for chargepoint installations. • The scoring approach detailed in Appendix A provides a higher score the further a site is from the city centre, so that charging density is higher away from the city centre. This reduces the incentive for EV owners to drive into the city.
16.9 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), proposes a variety of measures that encourages both active travel as well as sustainable travel. Active travel, walking and cycling, can reduce the number of vehicles on the road contributing to lower: greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, noise disturbance and vehicle traffic. By providing appropriate provisions for active travel this can also increase the likelihood of residents moving from a vehicle ownership model to utilising car club provisions, the benefits of which are stated in the next section. The SUMP recommends the following measures, that concentrate on areas within the city centre: • Reducing speed limits of vehicles on certain streets • Increasing walking and cycling provision including resurfacing roads and paths, creating cycle lanes, increased parking provision, campaigns and promotions, increase green man crossing times, and low/no car housing zones. • Expand and improve public transport including park and ride, accurate timetabling, safe and accessible environments for bus stops, bus priority measurements, and new ticketing arrangements. • Continue to work with car club operators for sustainable low emission transport. • Continue to promote low emission vehicles and grow the charging network and deliver the Aberdeen City Region Hydrogen Strategy. • Encourage freight to use preferred transit corridors to minimise trips inside the city centre.
Again, the key theme emerging is the need to balance EV uptake with decreased private car use. The Framework and this report contribute to this objective by recommending more off-street rapid charging, particularly further from the city centre, and less on-street charging in city centre areas where shared and active travel should be prioritised. 16.10 Car Clubs Co-Wheels currently provides EVs and hydrogen vehicles as part of its Car Club offering and are under contract with Aberdeen City Council to provide these services in the city until 31/03/2022. ACC has provided charging bays throughout the city both dedicated to car club vehicles and shared with the general public. Car Clubs reduce the number of private cars on the road and reduce the number and distance of journeys made in cars. CoMoUK estimate that each Car Club car takes five private cars off the road and that, on average, Car Club members have reduced their annual mileage by 572 miles74. They can help with decarbonisation and easing congestion and should be encouraged by local authorities. Additionally, Car Club vehicles have a lower average age than privately owned vehicles meaning, even if they are not zero emission vehicles, they produce less GHG’s and pollution as they have to meet stricter emissions targets. ACC should continue to work with Car Club operators to provide dedicated Car Club bays, ideally with chargepoints for EVs. This is in line with the CCMP which has the aim of expanding the network, particularly in the city centre. Regeneration areas in particular should be a focus for Car Club deployment. These areas are not ideal for providing significant levels of charging infrastructure as (i) EV uptake is likely to be low in the short term due to demographic factors already discussed (ii) private car journeys from and within inner city and near-city suburban areas should be discouraged and (iii) it may be difficult to attract private sector investment. EV car
74 https://como.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Carplus-Annual-Survey-2017-18-Scotland-Final.pdf
clubs can help lower income households access the benefits of EVs, removing barriers to entry including capital cost and off-street parking. 16.11 Hydrogen ACC has pioneered the deployment of hydrogen light and heavy-duty vehicles: • Aberdeen has Europe’s largest hydrogen bus fleet. • There are two hydrogen refuelling stations at Kittybrewster and ACHES. • Co-wheels have two Toyota Mirais available as car club vehicles and run a further vehicle as part of the Robert Gordon University fleet. • There are several council owned Toyota Mirai vehicles. • ACC operate two dual-fuel 16t hydrogen street sweepers with a third sweeper being progressed. • ACC operate two dual-fuel 26t hydrogen refuse collection vehicles. • ACC have placed a hydrogen fuel cell 26t refuse collection vehicle due to start operations in October 2020. Hydrogen vehicles and EVs should be seen as complementary technologies, with each suited to different vehicle types and duty cycles. Hydrogen is better suited for longer journeys and heavier vehicles, and EVs are currently best for shorter journeys and urban or mixed driving environments. Both solutions should be invested in as both technologies will be needed in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. As such there is a case for chargepoints and hydrogen refuelling locations to be co-located, where possible, creating zero- emission vehicle hubs. 16.12 Strategic Car Parking Review As highlighted earlier, most of the ACC operated car parks do not have provision for EV or Car Club parking and therefore do not support a reduction in traffic or impact on targets to manage air quality. The number of spaces in general is still fairly limited, with users of EVs vying for a relatively small number of overall spaces. The Co-wheels Car Club offer solutions to provide alternatives to private ownership of a vehicle and to help alleviate the issues relating to car parking including competition for space and environmental problems which may be alleviated with the use of EVs.
16.13 Rail Interchange Improvements The Aberdeen – Inverness Improvement Project is a Scottish Government funded project to upgrade the railway infrastructure between Aberdeen and Inverness. The scheme aims to deliver enhanced commuter services into each city and to facilitate the capacity for new stations at Kintore and Inverness Airport. These rail improvements might make the case for more charging facilities at Dyce railway station if people are more incentivised to park and ride the train into Aberdeen. Further analysis of commuter journey patterns will be required, along with engagement with potential Park & Ride bus operators, to determine whether such an arrangement would work in practice before proceeding with implementing a new Park & Ride site. 16.14 Smart Transport App As part of ACC’s involvement in the EU-funded CIVITAS PORTIS project, a Smart Transport App is being developed to give users more information about the transport network and the options available to them. Consideration should be given to including the EV chargepoints in the App. 16.15 Energy Transition Zone An area of Aberdeen around Aberdeen South harbour has been designated as an Energy Transition Zone. There will be a presumption in favour of the development, production, assembly, storage and/or distribution of infrastructure required to support renewable energy related industries. In keeping with the nature of this designation, the Council should explore opportunities to ensure new proposals incorporate EV charging.
17 Communication Plan 17.1 Stakeholder Mapping The following priority audience groups have been identified, using the list supplied in the brief and experience of outreach and communications work for local authorities and integrated transport authorities in the UK. • Private car owners/drivers • Private sector car and LGV75 fleet buyers and operators • Public sector car and LGV fleet buyers and operators • SMEs and sole traders • Taxi and private hire fleet owners and operators • Taxi and private hire drivers and sole traders • Community transport and social care transport operators • Community groups • Vehicle dealerships • Landowners (potential chargepoint hosts) • Car park owners and operators (potential chargepoint hosts) • Chambers of Commerce • Trade Associations (such as the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and Road Haulage Association (RHA)).
These stakeholders were mapped to assess the extent to which they might influence or have an interest in the EV Framework76. Interest is defined as the level of importance each stakeholder is expected to place on the EV Framework and associated activity. For example, taxi operators and drivers are likely to place little importance on the EV Framework (assuming no substantive changes are made to vehicle licensing requirements). Influence is defined as the power an individual or organisation must contribute towards achieving the objectives of the EV Framework, including through influencing the attitudes or actions of others. For example, fleet decision makers have high levels of influence, as they can potentially procure significant numbers of EVs. The resulting stakeholder matrix, shown in Figure 17-1 below, identifies those individuals and organisations which can have the greatest impact on the successful implementation of the EV Framework. The results can be used to inform the subsequent communications plan and help prioritise resources.
75 HGV operators are not included in this framework because HGVs are not in scope of the wider ULEV strategy and because of the lack of suitable ULEVs available in this vehicle category. 76 We have only mapped stakeholders which may have an interest in, or could influence, the success or otherwise of the ULEV Strategy. Stakeholders which are excluded on this definition include academics, school children, and local authorities outside NE Scotland.
Figure 17-1: Stakeholder mapping results
Using this matrix, stakeholders have been categorised and an appropriate approach developed as part of the detailed communications plan. • Stakeholders towards the top right of the of the matrix, with high levels of interest and influence, are the priority audience groups and should be the focus of communications and outreach activity. They should be regularly consulted and involved in decision making activity. For the EV Framework, these ‘Key Players’ are public sector car and LGV fleet buyers and operators, private sector car and LGV fleet buyers and operators, and trade associations • Those towards the bottom left, with low influence and low interest are of relatively little importance and can be kept informed by mass communications such as newsletters and social media. In this case these are community groups and community transport and social care transport operators. • For high influence, low interest audiences (top left), the communications plan should aim to move these towards the top right of the matrix. This can be achieved by targeted engagement and consultation to increase their level of interest. This is a crucial group as all stakeholder types apart from those listed in the two bullets above have been mapped here. These individuals and organisations can significantly influence the successful delivery of the EV Framework but currently may not have high levels of interest. A targeted communications and outreach campaign could combine with selected incentives to raise their level of interest, moving them towards or into the top right segment. • For any low influence, high interest audiences (bottom right), the communications plan should aim to move these towards the top right of the matrix. This can be achieved by encouraging them to participate in consultation activities and to communicate with other stakeholders. In this case, only stakeholders who could influence the success or otherwise of the EV Framework are mapped. Stakeholders which may fit into this category include academics and local authorities outside Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.
17.2 Key Messages This section proposes key messages about the EV Framework, the benefits of EVs and other topics that should be conveyed to each audience group. Since in many cases the same messages apply to two or more stakeholder types, they have been combined into the following categories: • Individuals and sole traders, comprising private car owners/drivers, SMEs and sole traders, and taxi and private hire drivers. • Fleet decision makers, comprising private sector car, LGV fleet buyers and operators, public sector car, LGV fleet buyers and operators, taxi and private hire fleet owners and operators, and community transport and social care transport operators.
• Vehicle dealerships as they could play a significant role in influencing decisions made by individuals and sole traders. • Potential chargepoint hosts, comprising landowners, car park owners and operators. • Business influencers, comprising Chambers of Commerce and trade associations.
All stakeholders should receive communications about the eventual EV Framework, although the intensity and detail of this messaging should be varied as stated above, according to their Influence and Interest. Individuals and Sole Traders • Benefits about EVs to highlight are the increasing availability of new and used vehicles in a wide range of categories, lower fuel and maintenance costs and the increasing availability of chargepoints. For taxi and private hire drivers, communications should highlight potential changes in consumer preference associated with the quieter, smoother ride offered by EVs. If applicable, highlight any regional or local benefits around EVs (e.g. free parking). • Messaging should also address potential concerns about range anxiety, charger anxiety, battery lifespans and common misconceptions such as the relative environmental benefits compared to conventional vehicles.
Fleet Decision Makers • Benefits about EVs to highlight are the increasing availability of new vehicles in a wide range of categories, lower fuel and maintenance costs, financial incentives such as preferential rates of company car tax and writing-down allowances, and the benefits of offering EVs on company car choice lists. If applicable, highlight any regional or local benefits around EVs. • Messaging should also address potential concerns about range anxiety, battery lifespans and the impact of national policy on the EV market (e.g. potential changes to grants and taxation) and common misconceptions such as the relative environmental benefits compared to conventional vehicles. • Community groups should be encouraged to look at EVs within the context of shared mobility provision, for example electric car club vehicles and minibus services. Information should be provided about chargepoints, including how to use them, new developments, grants and access to finance.
Vehicle Dealerships • Benefits about EVs to highlight are that they can help drivers save money in the long run, even if they are more expensive to buy. • Messaging should also address potential concerns about range anxiety, battery lifespans and the impact of national policy on the EV market (e.g. potential changes to grants and taxation) and common misconceptions so that they have the knowledge to pass on to individuals and sole traders. • This audience should hear how consumer attitudes towards EVs are changing, linked to increased awareness of local and global environmental issues.
Potential Chargepoint Hosts • Benefits about EVs to highlight are that they can provide an additional revenue stream through provision of chargepoints and through purchase of other commodities during the charging event. • Signposting to existing resources such as the UK EVSE Chargepoint Procurement Guidance and any grants available at the time for chargepoint provision would also be beneficial.
Business Influencers • Benefits about EVs to highlight are similar to those for fleet decision makers, highlighting the financial benefits and the importance of considering Whole Life Costs (WLC) when assessing whether EVs make financial sense. • In addition, communications should highlight that operating EVs can give businesses a commercial advantage through enhanced reputation or in preferential scoring for tenders.
Other messages In addition to the above, ACC should signpost all stakeholders to the following resources:
• The Go Ultra Low website (www.goultralow.com/) where they can access the tools and resources described earlier. • Zap-Map (www.zap-map.com), the UK’s most comprehensive source of public EV chargepoints.
17.3 Communication Channels A marketing and communications workshop should be facilitated to create an effective communication plan. Potential communication channels are shown below from which relevant items can be selected and expanded upon following the production of a full strategy with more details around key messages, channels and content. This level of detail is not in scope of the development of a strategy as requested at this stage. 17.3.1 Website Create a standalone website advising and educating visitors to the site about EVs and ACC’s strategy. The site can potentially be a relatively small site – effectively a ‘micro-site’ – that can be signposted from ACC’s website. It would need to clearly communicate a number of key messages to Aberdeen residents with an ability to quickly update the site with the latest news, events and vehicles available. The list below is not exhaustive, but provides a number of key areas to target: • Incentives for purchasing EVs – grants, loans, parking, permits • Chargepoint locations • How to use chargepoints • Economic and emissions savings • User experiences of EVs • ACC’s targets/strategies moving forwards and details of the electrification of their own fleet • How EVs can benefit businesses • EV availability – new releases, range, cost etc. • Latest news
The Getabout website is already available, however, there is a risk of mixing messages between reducing car use and encouraging EV uptake. A new site is recommended. 17.3.2 Video Video primarily filmed but possibly also animated, to tell the story of ACC’s intentions in an engaging way. There are many options for using video, ranging from an ‘EV explainer’ video with a real-life user to individual case studies or reviews of events. These can be used on the website and social media. 17.3.3 Social Media Social media should be an essential part of the communications approach, with regular activity required. Twitter is likely to be the most used channel, however, LinkedIn and Facebook (and YouTube) should also be used. The aim should be to develop a community of passionate Aberdeen EV advocates. Working with private local businesses. Activity on Twitter can be amplified throughout different networks. 17.3.4 Radio Advertisement Radio, though having a large audience, presents a challenge in what content to include, due to the short nature of advertisement through this means. Any advertisement should be short, snappy, and should reference and encourage listeners to research more regarding the subject. It is, therefore, important that listeners can be signposted to a website or social media account to find out more information. 17.3.5 PR Local PR is essential. Consideration should be given to providing local media (print, online, radio and TV) with first-hand experience of driving and using EVs with news reporting on updates to EV Framework or ‘big wins’ when targets for EV uptake are either met or exceeded.
17.3.6 Events Hosting events to showcase EVs and other low emission vehicles can be a way to reach a mass audience provided appropriate promotion and publicity is used. Events could either be run by ACC or ACC could encourage low emission vehicle events to be hosted in the city. 17.3.7 Vehicle Livery Council pool vehicles represent an opportunity to market EVs as well as the work the council is doing to electrify its own fleet. This will give council run EVs a distinct presence across the city, and encourage EV uptake, and raise awareness of other users on the road. Additionally, vehicle livery on public transport services can expand the outreach of a vehicle livery campaign due to their regular service and high visibility on roads. 17.3.8 Branding All communication with residents should have a clear branding style that is instantly recognisable as part of the wider EV marketing campaign. This will help create a coherent and clear message and increase the effectiveness of all communication strategies. 17.3.9 Copywriting All communication materials will need effective content, written by experts about EVs and by experts in marketing and communication. This is key to effectively promoting and encouraging the uptake of EVs.
APPENDIX A Additional Information This Appendix provides further detail of the topics discussed in the report, with a focus on the methodologies used for chargepoint numbers, site selection77, renewable energy, energy storage and smart charging. Environmental Context Air Pollution Emissions Poor air quality is the greatest environmental risk to public health in the UK. The pollutants of most concern are:
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx), which include nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Long-term exposure to high concentrations can reduce lung function and exacerbate respiratory conditions. • Particulate matter (PM)78. Larger particles can damage the lungs while smaller particles can enter the bloodstream and aggravate cardiovascular conditions.
The main source of NOx in the UK is road transport, responsible for 34% of total NOx and 80% of NOx by 79 roadsides. Road transport is also the third biggest source of PM2.5 contributing 12% . ACC’s Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), published in 2011, identified transport as the main cause of the air quality problem in Aberdeen80. Poor air quality is often found in densely populated urban areas where population exposure will be significant and higher concentrations of pollutants have been found to correlate with higher levels of deprivation81. The overall economic cost to society associated with air pollution in the UK has been estimated at £20 billion per year82. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.7 to 0.9 °C since 1901 and most of this warming has occurred recently. Climate change is strongly associated with a range of negative impacts including rising sea levels, declining sea ice and increased occurrences of extreme weather events83. Transport has been the largest GHG emitter of any economic sector in the UK since 2016, accounting for 33% of emissions in Scotland84.
77 We have referenced and cited every input and assumption used in our models where available. On occasion, models require an input to be defined where a publicly available number can’t be provided. For these (i.e. any figure in this section without a footnote), data is based on internal (unpublished) Cenex data from analysis with other local authorities. Cenex has 15 years’ experience planning and operating chargepoint networks in the UK and has drawn on this considerable expertise and knowledge bank to derive these assumptions. EV chargepoint network planning and modelling is an emerging field and as such some expert insight is appropriate where hard data based on long-term evaluation of existing networks does not exist. 78 PM10 denotes particles less than <10 µm in diameter, PM2.5 denotes particles less than <2.5 µm. 79 DEFRA Clean Air Strategy, 2019. 80 https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_quality_action_plan_2011.pdf 81 DEFRA ‘Air Quality and Social Deprivation in the UK; an environmental inequalities analysis’, 2006 82 Royal College of Physicians ‘Every breath we take: The lifelong impact of air pollution’, 2016 83 IPCC AR5 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2014. 84 Scottish Transport Statistics 2018, Chapter 13 Environment and Emissions
Infrastructure Baseline
The tables below detail the assumptions used for the Value infrastructure baseline.Vehicle Usage
Daily mileage 21.4 miles85
Domestic off-street parking availability 69% (averaged across the study area)86
Public EVSE usage by those with off-street parking87 5%
The assumed usage of EVSE is based on data collected by OLEV, looking at usage of public-funded standard1, fast88 and rapid89 chargepoints. The assumed average use for standard, fast and rapid charging is shown in the table below, and the amount of time between charges has been assumed based on the likely use case of the chargepoint. For example, rapid chargers are more likely to be installed in high-turnover car parks, where EV users unplug their vehicle promptly once they have received a full charge. Conversely, standard and fast chargepoints are more likely to be installed in car parks where EV users may be away from their vehicle and therefore not be able to return as soon as their vehicle is fully charged.
Max charge Between charges Daily in-use EVSE type Max utilisation duration90 (hours) (hours) period (hours)
7kW 6 6 24 50%
22kW 2 1 15 42%
50kW 0.5 0.5 16 33%
150kW 0.5 0.25 16 44%
The proportion of charging taking place using different types of EVSE is based on the Zap-Map Annual Survey 201991 and the widely expected transition from fast or rapid infrastructure to ultra-rapid, with a remaining need for slow or standard charging, as shown in the table below.
Proportion of EVSE use 2018 2021 2024 2027 2030
7kW 13% 13% 13% 10% 10%
22kW 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
85 UK Government. National Travel Survey 86 UK Government. National Travel Survey. The NTS asks “where is the vehicle kept overnight?” to which the response show that 60% and 79% keep their vehicles on a driveway or garage in cities and rural towns, respectively. We have used the average across both of these to reflect the variation between Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. We are using the National Travel Survey and not the Transport and Travel in Scotland survey as the latter does not capture the specific insight we need to make this assumption. 87 This refers to the proportion of charging drawn from the public network by a user who can install a domestic chargepoint and therefore will do the vast majority of their charging at home. While this figure varies significantly across use cases and networks, 5% is a typical figure seen by Cenex in its work with other clients and networks. No published data available to cite. 88 UK Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), 2017. Electric Chargepoint Analysis 2017: Public Sector Fasts 89 UK Office for Low Emission Vehicles, 2017. Electric Chargepoint Analysis 2017: Local Authority Rapids (revised) 90 Charging time rather than length of time a vehicle spends connected (even if it is no longer taking a charge) 91 Zap-Map EV Charging Survey 2019. Further information available online.
50kW 57% 57% 52% 50% 50%
150kW 5% 5% 10% 15% 15%
The roadmaps presented in the EV framework point to an increased range and charging speed as EVs, PHEVs and E-REVs develop in the coming years, as summarised in the assumptions below. Data is based on extrapolations of recent trends in new vehicle capabilities, including data on vehicle in development and due for release in the near future.
Battery size Max charge Usable Recharge trigger (kWh) power (kW) battery (%) (% charge)
BEV, future generation 90 150 90% 5%
BEV, next generation 60 150 90% 10%
BEV, current generation 45 50 90% 15%
BEV, previous generation 24 50 90% 20%
PHEV, current generation 12 50 90% 0%
PHEV, previous generation 6 7 90% 0%
E-REV 20 50 90% 0%
Due to improvements in technology and the pace of new vehicles with longer ranges being launched, EVs are expected to move towards the ‘BEV Next Generation’ and ‘BEV Future Generation’ archetype over time, with ‘PHEV Previous Generation’, BEV Previous Generation’ and ‘BEV Current Generation’ archetypes absent from Aberdeen’s roads by 2042 as this far exceeds typical maximum vehicle lifecycles of up to 15 years. Some E-REVs will remain, and the current generation PHEVs are forecast to decline with time. The
table below shows these assumptions.
2018 2021 2024 2027 2030 2033 2036 2039 2042
BEV, future generation 5% 5% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35% 40%
BEV, next generation 5% 5% 10% 15% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
BEV, current generation 10% 15% 20% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
BEV, previous generation 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 5% 0% 0% 0%
PHEV, current generation 30% 35% 35% 30% 25% 20% 20% 15% 10%
PHEV, previous generation 20% 15% 10% 5% 5% 5% 0% 0% 0%
E-REV 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5%
Longlist of Potential Chargepoint Sites The table below shows the longlisted sites in Aberdeen.
Primary Use Case Public access Welcoming Strategy On Taxi & fleet 24/7 access Implementation Spatial gaps Future needs Capacity Total
Ownership
-
street
Name
Frederick Street Car ACC Retail 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 34 Park
Bridge of Don Park ACC Hub 4 4 4 2 0 4 3 0 3 4 28 & Ride
Chapel Street Car ACC Workplace 4 3 4 4 1 4 3 0 3 2 28 Park (expansion)
Craibstone Park and Ride ACC Hub 4 4 4 0 3 4 3 0 3 3 28 (expansion)
Pittodrie Stadium Private Leisure 4 0 0 4 0 4 4 4 3 4 27 (redevelopment)
Virginia Street Car ACC Retail 4 1 3 3 4 4 4 0 3 1 27 Park
Kittybrewster ACC Transit 2 0 3 4 4 4 4 2 3 0 26 Hydrogen Station
Summer Street Car ACC Workplace 4 2 3 4 4 3 2 0 3 1 26 Park
Kingswell Park & ACC Hub 4 4 4 0 0 4 2 1 3 4 26 Ride (expansion)
Golden Square Public Residential 4 2 2 4 1 3 3 0 2 2 23
BP/M&S Peterculter Private Retail 4 0 4 1 0 4 2 4 2 2 23
Shell Bankhead Private Hub 4 2 2 3 0 4 3 0 2 2 22
Gallowgate Car ACC Hub 4 2 3 2 0 4 3 0 2 2 22 Park (expansion)
Esso Kingswell Private Transit 4 2 4 0 0 4 2 2 2 2 22 Junction
Sclattie Park Public Transit 4 2 2 3 0 4 3 0 2 1 21 (expansion)
BP King Street Private Transit 4 2 0 3 0 4 2 2 2 2 21
BP North Private Transit 4 2 0 4 0 4 3 0 2 2 21 Esplanade
Shell North Private Transit 4 1 2 1 0 4 3 2 2 2 21 Anderson Drive
Lidl/Brig Private Transit 3 2 0 1 0 4 3 2 2 2 19 O'Don/Shell
Broomhill Road Car ACC Transit 4 1 0 4 0 4 3 0 2 1 19 Park (expansion)
Shell Stonehaven Private Transit 4 1 1 2 0 4 2 1 2 2 19 Road
Shiprow Car Park Private Retail 4 2 0 2 0 4 2 0 2 2 18
New Aberdeen Private Hub 1 2 1 0 2 0 4 2 2 4 18 Stadium
Byron Square ACC Residential 4 0 1 1 0 4 3 2 2 1 18
P&J Live (The Private Leisure 1 3 2 0 2 0 3 2 2 2 17 Event Complex)
Broadford Works Unkno Hub 2 2 0 3 0 0 4 2 2 2 17 (redevelopment) wn
ASDA Dyce Private Retail 3 0 2 2 0 0 2 3 2 2 16
Grandholm Village Private Residential 0 0 0 4 0 4 3 1 2 2 16
Denburn Car Park ACC Retail 4 1 0 3 0 0 3 0 2 3 16
Trinity Centre Private Retail 3 3 0 2 0 0 2 1 2 3 16
Aberdeen Royal NHS Taxi 0 0 2 0 4 4 3 0 2 1 16 Infirmary (Taxi)
Aberdeen Private Taxi 1 0 1 0 4 0 2 1 1 4 14 International Airport
Beach Boulevard Retail Park/Queens Private Leisure 3 2 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 4 14 Links Leisure Park
Kittybrewster Retail Private Retail 3 1 0 4 0 0 2 0 1 3 14 Park
Aberdeen Railway Private Taxi 0 3 2 0 4 0 2 1 1 1 14 Station
College Street Car Private Workplace 0 0 0 2 0 4 3 1 1 3 14 Park
Union Square Private Retail 3 2 0 2 0 0 2 1 1 3 14
Wellington Circle Private Retail 3 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 1 3 14 Retail Park
Garthdee Road Retail Private Retail 3 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 4 14 Park/ASDA/Sainsbu ry's (expansion)
Tesco Lang Stracht Private Retail 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 2 14
Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Private Leisure 0 3 0 0 2 0 3 0 1 4 13 Centre
Morrisons West Private Retail 3 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 1 2 13 North Street
Kittybrewster Depot ACC Fleet 0 0 2 0 4 0 4 0 1 2 13
Berryden Retail Private Retail 3 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 1 4 13 Park
Dunmail Street Car ACC Residential 4 0 3 2 0 0 2 0 1 1 13 Park (expansion)
Aberdeen International Private Hub 0 0 2 0 3 0 3 1 1 2 12 Business Park
Tesco Extra, Private Retail 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 3 12 Danestone
ASDA Bridge of Private Retail 3 0 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 1 12 Don
Bon Accord Loch Private Retail 3 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 12 Street
Woodend Hospital NHS Hospital 2 0 0 0 3 0 3 1 1 2 12
Lidl Bankhead Private Retail 3 0 1 2 0 0 3 0 1 1 11
Aberdeen Leisure Private Leisure 2 2 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 2 11 Centre
Marischal College Car Park ACC Workplace 0 2 2 2 0 0 2 0 1 2 11 (expansion)
Lidl Hutcheon Private Retail 3 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 1 2 11 Street
Aberdeen Ferry Private Transit 2 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 1 2 11 Terminal
Peterculter Sports Public Leisure 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 11 Centre
Cornhill Community Public Residential 2 0 2 1 0 0 3 0 1 2 11 Centre (expansion)
Educati Dyce Academy Workplace 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 2 1 1 10 on
Pitmedden Private Workplace 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 1 1 2 10 Industrial Estate
Aberdeen Sports Public Leisure 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 2 10 Village
West North Street ACC Workplace 4 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 2 10 Car Park
Tullos Industrial Private Workplace 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 1 3 10 Estate
Hazlehead Park Private Leisure 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 10 (expansion)
Aberdeen Royal NHS Hospital 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 4 10 Infirmary
Beacon Centre, Public Leisure 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 1 1 9 Bucksburn
Co-op Springfield Private Retail 3 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 9 Road
Talisman House Private Workplace 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 1 1 8
Robert Gordon Educati University Workplace 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 3 8 on (expansion)
Dobbie's Garden Private Retail 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 8 Centre
Prime Four Private Workplace 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 7 Business Park
SRUC Aberdeen Educati Workplace 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 6 Campus on
University of Educati Aberdeen Workplace 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 2 6 on (expansion)
Balmoral Stadium Private Leisure 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 6
Robert Gordon's Educati Leisure 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 College on
Shortlist Calculation of Chargepoint Requirements The methodology for calculating the required chargepoint provision can be split into three categories: Council Owned Car Parks • Parking spaces numbers were provided by ACC. • Annual user numbers for 2015/16 were provided by ACC. – These were divided by the number of days in the year to give number of daily users. – Number of daily users was divided by parking spaces to give turnover rate. • EV additionality was estimated to be 200% as proportionally more EVs are expected to use the car park due to the presence of chargers. Park and Rides • Parking space numbers were provided by ACC. • Due to size and typical use case of park and ride sites, turnover rate was estimated to be 1. – As rapid charging hubs are proposed to be installed at the park and rides, EV additionality is estimated to be 500% as they are located on roads with high traffic flow and a greater proportion of EV owners will detour specifically to charge their vehicle at the sites.
Petrol Forecourts • Parking spaces were estimated from the typical number of pumps at the station. • The turnover of 10 was estimated based on ten uses of each pump per day. This is expected to be lower but will give a lower bound for the number of rapid chargers required at such a site. • Like the park and rides, EV additionality is estimated to be 500% as many more EV owners will visit the site specifically to recharge their vehicle on a rapid chargepoint. The factors for each site are shown in the table overleaf.
additionality
Short
Long
Turnover
opening
Parking
Spaces
Site hours
Daily
- -
stay stay
Hub
rate
EV
Total 3917 4.4934 21.806 19% 17% 64% 356%
Sclattie Park (expansion) 28 5 24 0% 20% 80% 500%
Shell Bankhead 10 10 24 0% 0% 100% 500%
Bridge of Don Park & Ride 600 1 24 25% 0% 75% 500%
BP King Street 10 10 24 0% 0% 100% 500%
Pittodrie Stadium (redevelopment) 295 2 12 20% 80% 0% 100%
Virginia Street Car Park 45 1.1 24 0% 0% 100% 200%
Frederick Street Car Park 150 0.8 24 0% 75% 25% 200%
Gallowgate Car Park (expansion) 138 2.2 24 0% 20% 80% 200%
Kittybrewster Hydrogen Station 90 3 12 0% 50% 50% 200%
Chapel Street Car Park (expansion) 500 0.7 24 80% 20% 0% 200%
Summer Street Car Park 23 2.6 24 80% 20% 0% 200%
Golden Square 32 1 24 80% 20% 0% 100%
BP North Esplanade 10 10 24 0% 0% 100% 500%
BP/M&S Peterculter 10 10 18 0% 0% 100% 500%
Esso Kingswell Junction 20 10 14.5 0% 0% 100% 500%
Kingswell Park & Ride (expansion) 950 1 24 25% 0% 75% 500%
Shell North Anderson Drive 10 10 24 0% 0% 100% 500%
Craibstone Park and Ride (expansion) 996 1 24 25% 0% 75% 500%
Renewables, energy storage and smart charging Clean, smart and integrated technology can transform sites’ electrical and recharging network into a modern low emission and profitable energy system. Individually or combined renewables, energy storage and smart charging of vehicles can be integrated into any electrical network upgrade. The following subsections give a very high-level overview of the benefits and barriers of integrating clean technology into chargepoint sites. Each of these must be assessed in more detail and on a site-specific basis to determine the costs and benefits. Renewables and energy storage Description Generating renewable energy on-site can reduce peak demand for grid electricity, reducing total CO2 emissions and saving money. Solar PV panels can be installed on a solar car port or on nearby
land. Wind generation requires far less space than a comparable solar PV system. It can be challenging to secure planning permission, particularly in urban areas. Economics Capital and installation costs vary greatly depending on the size of the system. Solar PV installations are characterised by long payback periods but can assist enable local authorities to meet CO2 reduction targets and access low cost borrowing and grant funding. The greater economic benefit of adding PV is off-setting grid electricity costs and reducing any capacity upgrade costs (and providing a zero carbon energy supply). Therefore, for maximum economic benefit PV arrays should be sized to allow a high level of avoided electricity purchase. Opportunity Whilst the income from the sale of electricity does not make a compelling case for installation, offsetting electricity purchased from the grid for site use and vehicle charging may form an attractive business case. Clearly electricity generation and demand do not always match, therefore energy storage could be used to store wrong time renewable generation. Energy storage Description Renewable generation is unpredictable and often happens when vehicles aren’t available for charging. Therefore, it can be used in conjunction with a battery energy storage system to maximise income. This allows energy to be stored during off-peak times and then fed into vehicles as required. This has several potential benefits for the metro sites: • Provide load management services by charging when electricity demand is low and discharging to offset demand at peak times. • Increase self-sufficiency through reduced reliance on the grid. • Revenue can be produced by providing network flexibility to aggregators which manage supply and demand. Further feasibility work needs to be undertaken to cost out the benefits of renewable installations and energy storage at each of the sites. Smart charging and V2G Charging large numbers of vehicles at the same time can have a significant impact on site and local electricity network supply, particularly at peak times. Smart charging and V2G can help manage this demand and offset the need for costly network upgrades. Smart Charging Description Smart charging is the ability for electric vehicle supply equipment to control the timing of charging and the power output level in response to a user-defined input or signal. At the most basic level, this allows charging to be scheduled for times when grid demand is lower. Dynamic demand shifting can also be used to provide energy services including time of use tariff optimisation, peak demand shaving, network constraint management and simple renewable electricity generation optimisation. Economics Network upgrade costs for multiple charge points can run to tens of thousands of pounds making network connection unviable. Smart charging capability is an embedded functionality in all modern charge points. The functionality will be dependent upon the capability of the charge point management system. But the charge across a group of charge points can be limited so that at times of low EV demand chargepoints operate at full power but at times of high EV demand charge rates to all the points is limited. This allows the avoidance of network upgrade costs in some cases. Opportunity At a rail site carpark, it is likely that users will leave vehicles to charge for a long amount of time. Therefore, smart charging can reduce the power rating of the chargers to allow the installation of many charge points but allow charging times to be increased to avoid costly network upgrades. V2G Description V2G is a system whereby vehicles can provide bi-directional flows of energy when connected to electric vehicles supply equipment. Energy can be discharged from the EV to meet on-site demand or to export electricity to the network.
Economics This allows the energy stored in an EV to be traded in electricity markets to generate income from the vehicle whilst it is not in use. Because the electricity can be dispatched when the grid needs it most, it can be sold at a profit. V2G is not yet fully developed or commercially viable, current V2G charging units cost around £10k. The revenue models available to EV owners through V2G activity is also not well proven. Opportunity The development of V2G equipment and business models is an active and well-funded area of R&D at the moment. Long stay car parks, such as rail, multi-story, airport could form part of the power stations of the future using EV batteries. Top 200 Ranked Locations for On-Street Charging Trials
Factors and Weighting Evidence Base Research commissioned by the UK Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) indicates that early adopters of EVs are “middle-aged, male, well-educated, affluent, and live in urban areas with households containing two or more cars and with the ability to charge at home”[1]. This is supported by more recent information collected by Zap-Map, who conducted a survey of 1,617 EV and PHEV owners in 2019. Over half of the 1,261 respondents who disclosed their annual household income declared earnings of over £50,000 per year, with roughly a quarter earning over £80,000 per year. An earlier survey of 908 UK adults, conducted by the UK Office for National Statistics in 2016[2], indicated that: those with degrees were more likely to consider buying an EV than those without; those with an annual income of more than £26,000 were 33% more likely to consider buying an EV than those earning less than £26,000 per year; men were more likely to consider buying an EV than women. Geospatial data is freely available that can be used to map demographics that have been shown to be more favourable to early EV adoption. Using this data, we can identify areas that, according to existing evidence, include a relatively higher proportion of early EV adopters. Taken in isolation, the demographics favourable to EV adoption do not necessarily reflect the locations where public residential charging infrastructure is likely to be required. This is because EV users with access to off-street parking can install domestic charging equipment, enabling them to charge their EV at home and removing the need for public infrastructure to be located nearby. Therefore, to understand where public residential charging infrastructure is most likely to be required, the proportion of off-street parking availability also needs to be considered. Data Used The methodology that has been used to identify locations that are relatively more likely to require or benefit from public residential charging infrastructure uses the factors shown in the table below. The table also shows the datasets used for each factor. All datasets used have been obtained from the UK Census 2011 and are valid down to the Output Area level. This means that findings will be mappable into zones with, on average, 131 households each.
Factor Dataset(s) used
Vehicle ownership by household; Total population; Vehicle ownership Datasets combined to determine vehicles per person as a relative indicator of vehicle ownership
Method of commute, specifically number of people commuting either as a Vehicle usage car driver or passenger; Distance of commute
Number of households deprived on one or more dimension;
Affluence National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), specifically the number of people falling within NS-SEC categories 1 to 4, representing more advantaged groups
Households by building type, specifically the number of detached and semi- Off-street parking availability detached houses (which have been considered to be more likely to have off- street parking)
Scoring Each output area is scored relatively for each factor, on a scale of -100 to 100, based on how it ranks against other output areas. This means, for example: an output area with the median value will score zero; an output area with the most favourable value will score 100 and an output area with the least favourable value will score -100. Each output area is scored against every factor. Scores are then individually weighted and added together to form a total, reflecting the relative suitability of each output area for public residential charging infrastructure. For a given output area: • A score of zero indicates an that the area is neither particularly suited nor unsuited to public residential charging infrastructure. • A positive score shows that the area is more suited than average for public residential charging infrastructure. • A negative score shows that the area is less suited than average for public residential charging infrastructure installation.
The relativistic nature of the scores mean that comparisons can be made between output areas. For example, an output area with a score of 250 is five times better suited to public residential charging infrastructure than an output area with a score of 50. Weighting Acknowledging that certain factors listed in the table above will have more of an impact on the suitability of a geographical area for public residential charging, a weighting is required to enhance the validity of the analytical results. As no research has yet been conducted to determine the relativity of different factors impacting EV ownership, the project technical team conducted an internal peer review exercise, drawing upon the expertise and experience of nine members of staff, with backgrounds in the transport and energy sectors, as well as local government. Each participant was asked to rank seven different demographic indicators in order of how important they believed those indicators were to identify areas where public residential charging was required. Once these rankings were collected, the scores for each indicator were added up and then attributed a weighting value, proportional to how highly or lowly each factor was ranked. The results are shown in the table below.
Sum of Ranks Indicator Related Factor (lower = higher Weighting priority)
Method of commute Vehicle usage 36 88%
Off-street parking availability Off-street parking availability 11 290%
Annual earnings Affluence 34 94%
Vehicle ownership rate Vehicle ownership 23 139%
Daily mileage Vehicle usage 38 84%
Deprivation Affluence 37 86%
Population density Off-street parking availability 44 72%
These weightings were then applied to the longlisted sites to produce the final shortlist
Chargepoint Technical Standards The technical standards for domestic and workplace charging, as specified for the OLEV Workplace Charging Scheme92, are detailed below. The latest version of the guidance was published in 2020.
1.0 GENERAL
This document defines the specification for electric and plug-in hybrid electric road vehicle conductive charging
equipment.
References to standards or regulations are to the current edition of such standards or regulations at the time of the
installation.
In cases of apparent inconsistency in installation requirements, the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) shall take
precedence.
Manufacturers/suppliers of the proposed charging equipment shall demonstrate compliance with this specification.
2.0 INSTALLATION
This specification is for the charging equipment only and not the final installation. However, it is required that the final installation will be in accordance with the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671); the recommendations of the IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installations (as amended); Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations and all other applicable standards.
Installations on the public highway shall use a contractor registered through the Highways and Electrical
Registration Scheme (HERS).
Charging Equipment shall be installed in accordance with BS EN 61851.
The electrical supply of the final installation should allow the charging equipment to operate at full rated capacity. Where local supply constraints prevent operation at full rated capacity, the charging equipment shall be classified according to actual output capacity.
The design of the charging equipment shall permit compliance with the requirements of BS 8300:2009+A1:2010.
3.0 CHARGING EQUIPMENT - COMMON REQUIREMENTS
Charging equipment shall be CE marked in accordance with EC Directive 768/2008/EC.
Details of any precautions necessary to ensure safe operation with Active Implantable Medical Devices shall be
provided and must also be clearly displayed on the charging equipment.
Charging equipment shall be compliant with:
• BS EN 61851 Part 1
• Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2006
• Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations 1994
BS EN 62196 Mode 1 or Mode 2 charging shall not be compliant with this specification.
92 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/874168/workplace- charging-scheme-guidance.pdf
Charging equipment shall utilise socket outlets (BS EN 61851:1 Case A2 or B2 connection) or tethered cables (BS
EN 61851:1 Case C connection).
Where multiple outlets are provided the charging equipment shall be classified according to the output power
delivered at each outlet with all outlets operating simultaneously.
Where multiple connectors are associated with a single outlet only one connector shall be active, and all other
connectors shall be inactive, when the outlet is in use.
For AC charging equipment:
• AC charging equipment output power shall be measured or calculated at a nominal supply voltage of 230Vac single-phase or 400Vac three-phase.
• AC charging equipment shall be compliant with BS EN 61851 Part 22
• AC charging equipment shall use BS EN 62196 Mode 3 charging.
• AC charging equipment socket outlets (where used) shall be BS EN 62196 Type 2.
For DC charging equipment:
• DC charging equipment shall be compliant with BS EN 61851 Part 23
• DC charging equipment shall use BS EN 62196 Mode 4 charging
For charging equipment with embedded generation capability (V2X):
• Charging equipment with embedded generation capability of up to and including 16A per phase shall be compliant with ENA Engineering Recommendation G83.
• Charging equipment with embedded generation capability greater than 16A per phase shall be compliant with ENA Engineering Recommendation G59. 3.1 CHARGING OUTLETS
3.1.2 STANDARD AC (3.5kW to 7kW)
Charging equipment outlet shall be rated 230Vac ± 10% single-phase.
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 3.5kW and not greater than 7kW.
3.1.3 FAST AC (7kW to 23kW)
Charging equipment outlet shall be rated 230Vac ± 10% single-phase or 400Vac ± 10% three-phase.
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 7kW and not greater than 23kW.
3.1.4 SEMI-RAPID AC (23kW to 43kW)
Charging equipment outlet shall be rated 400Vac ± 10% three-phase.
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 23kW and not greater than 43kW.
Charging equipment shall be fitted with a BS EN 62196 Type 2 socket outlet or tethered lead fitted with a BS EN
62196 Type 2 connector.
3.1.5 RAPID AC (43kW to 44kW)
Charging equipment outlet shall be rated 400Vac ± 10% three-phase.
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 43kW and not greater than 44kW.
Charging equipment shall be fitted with a BS EN 62196 Type 2 socket outlet or tethered lead fitted with a BS EN
62196 Type 2 connector.
3.1.6 FAST DC (10kW to 22kW)
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 10kW and not greater than 22kW.
3.1.7 SEMI-RAPID DC (22kW to 50kW)
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 22kW and not greater than 50kW.
3.1.8 RAPID DC (50kW to 62.5kW)
Charging equipment output shall be greater than 50kW and not greater than 62.5kW.
4.0 LOCATION - GENERAL
Where installed in an outdoor location, the charging equipment shall meet the minimum IP ratings set out in BS
EN 61851:1.
4.1 LOCATION - WORKPLACE
The final installation shall be in accordance with the current edition of the Electricity at Work Regulations.
5.0 USER INTERFACE - GENERAL
Charging equipment status shall be indicated using lights, LEDs or display.
5. USER INTERFACE - WORKPLACE
Charging equipment shall display instructions for payment/access (as appropriate) and equipment operation.
Details of approach shall be provided.
6.0 DATA REQUIREMENTS
6. DATA REQUIREMENTS - WORKPLACE
Data communications to allow remote data collection shall be provided.
A data acquisition system compatible with OLEV Chargepoint Usage Data Requirements (refer to factsheet in
Appendix 1) shall be provided.
Each outlet shall provide measurement of energy supplied, to be output to both display (where fitted) and data acquisition system compatible with OLEV Chargepoint Usage Data Requirements (refer to factsheet in Appendix 1). Where a MID approved meter is not used details of metering and accuracy shall be provided.
7.0 SERVICING & MAINTENANCE
Charging equipment shall be supplied with an on-site three-year warranty on parts and installation.
The charging point shall have a minimum operational life of 3 years to satisfy the requirements of the OLEV grant
scheme.
Chargepoint System Components and Data Protocols Chargepoints are usually connected to a server over the GPRS mobile phone network and internet, or a hard-wired internet connection. The whole system consists of the chargepoint equipment and its connection to the energy grid, the back-office system (Chargepoint Management System or CPMS), connection to banking networks for Instant Access functionality and connection to an umbrella Chargepoint Management System (uCPMS). A uCPMS allows users to ‘roam’ independently of the chargepoint equipment manufacturer, model, primary CPMS and geographic location. The following figure shows these system components (excluding the national grid network) and illustrates how a uCPMS can draw together several networks and offer a single payment clearing solution. This simplifies access and payment methods for EV drivers so that a single RFID card or smartphone App can allow access to multiple networks in different regions and countries. There is a growing range of chargepoint equipment suppliers and back office systems in the UK. The latest back office systems on the market offer improved roaming and interoperability between different networks and chargepoint types. This is underpinned by the adoption of the Open Chargepoint Protocol (OCPP) and the Open Smart Charging Protocol (OSCP).
The Chargepoint Management System (CPMS) A CPMS is a remote back office system run by Chargepoint Network Operators (CPNOs) that contains a database of all chargepoints and users of the chargepoint network. It monitors the status of the chargepoint equipment, activates and terminates charging events, initiates Instant Access transactions and collects network usage data.
Chargepoints are typically connected to the CPMS using a GPRS modem within the chargepoint. This is connected via the internet to the CPMS servers by a Virtual Private Network (VPN), ideally using the 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). In locations with poor mobile network signal, connection to the CPMS can be made by hardwiring chargepoints to an internet router or by using a mobile network signal booster. It is worth considering the extra cost of the equipment required to connect chargepoints to the internet if using the mobile network is not possible. Chargepoint Communication Protocols The way chargepoints communicate with the CPMS depends on what command protocol the equipment supplier and CPMS uses. A summary of different open data protocols relating to EV charging infrastructure is shown in the Appendix. Since 2009, the Open Charge Alliance has promoted the benefits of the OCPP in order to make EV networks open and accessible. OCPP is now the de facto protocol for EV network communications. OCPP version 1.6 is currently being deployed by CPNOs in the UK. It offers several additional features not present in version 1.5, including: • Smart charging functionality. • Extra statuses added to the chargepoint status enumeration, giving the CPNO and ultimately end users more information about the current status of a chargepoint. • Chargepoint manufacturers can send information such as the state of charge of an EV to a central system. The latest version is OCPP 2.0, which was released in April 2018. New functionality includes device management, improved transaction handling and security, added Smart Charging functionalities, ISO 15118 support, and display and messaging support. At the time of writing, most EVs in the UK are only compatible with older versions of OCPP, so version 2.0 is not in general use. However, a shift to version 2.0 is expected over the coming years. The OCPP website has all the latest information93. The first version of OSCP was launched in May 2015 and is ready for use. This protocol focuses on energy capacity planning for EV infrastructure, allowing up to ten times more cars to be charged on existing infrastructure. At the time of writing, work is underway to develop version 2.0 of the OSCP. The OCPP website has all the latest information on this development94. A summary of different open data protocols relating to EV charging infrastructure is detailed below.
93 www.openchargealliance.org 94 www.openchargealliance.org
Open chargepoint protocol. A common standard that allows electric vehicle charging equipment to communicate with back-office management systems. OCPP When tendering separate contracts for chargepoint installation and chargepoint operation, the equipment installed should be OCPP compliant. The current version of this standard is OCPP 2.0, but version 1.6 is still widely used.
Open smart charge protocol. A common standard that allows electric vehicle charging equipment to communicate with energy management systems and/or electrical distribution network operators, for the purposes of grid management. OSCP If chargepoints are intended automatically respond to stresses on the grid during peak periods of electrical demand, the chargepoint back-office systems used should be OSCP compliant. The current version of this standard is OSCP 1.0.
Open chargepoint interface protocol. A common standard that allows chargepoint back-office systems to communicate with network providers (also referred to as eMobility Service Providers). OCPI When tendering separate contracts to a chargepoint operator and a chargepoint network provider, the chargepoint management system should be OCPI compliant. The current version is OCPI 2.2.
Open Clearing House Protocol. A common standard that allows communication between service providers and chargepoint operators for the clearing operations (payments). OCHP When tendering to multiple chargepoint operators (e.g. using a framework) that are intended to be accessible through multiple payment platforms, the chargepoint operators and network providers should be OCHP compliant. The current version is OCHP 1.4.
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