We know that reducing operating costs whilst cutting carbon emissions and offering a world-class customer experience is vital for any company in the EV infrastructure market. Learn how Gridserve is achieving this at its Braintree Forecourt, the UK’s first all EV charging service station. Gridserve is at the forefront in pioneering sustainable energy solutions that are kinder to the consumer’s wallet whilst also being kinder to our planet. Constantly looking to invest in innovative technology that will help to deliver results in these areas, Gridserve installed 2x Wilson e3 3000kVA ultra-low loss amorphous transformers at their Braintree Forecourt. The station can charge up to 24 EV’s & 6 Tesla superchargers simultaneously with several 350 kW Ultra Rapid Charging points. The station is powered by solar PV & battery storage. Our transformers save Gridserve 1,625MWh over 30 years of operations. This equates to £243k and 375 tCO2 emissions reduction. This would be enough to provide 4,590,525 EV miles (extra charging at zero emissions).

The government’s “Green Industrial Revolution” and “Road to Zero” plans will ban internal combustion engine car sales by 2030. The average car stays on the road between 7-11 years, different fuel types and models live differently, but this means by 2040, most cars on the UK roads will be electric vehicles.

It has been argued that EVs can be as bad for the environment as conventional cars. Critics attribute this to the “huge” emissions from mining, manufacturing and recycling/disposing batteries. The comparison on the left paints a clear picture of the level of emissions for each car type taking into consideration the lifecycle of the car. Different car model comparisons produce different results but one thing we know for sure, EV’s are becoming greener and the carbon emissions of their lifecycle are getting lower and lower.

EV infrastructure companies such as Gridserve who have upgraded from the market standard transformer (Tier 1 losses) to an Ultra-Low Loss transformer (Wilson e3) will save 19,415kWh annually. That equates to saving £2,912 & more importantly, avoiding 4.5tCO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere (assuming the transformer is 1000kVA on 70% load factor).

What does this mean in EV terms? 54,901 miles of extra EV charging at no extra cost or carbon emissions (considering a medium-size EV). These savings can be significantly higher if you have more than one transformer on-site or if they have higher ratings & load factors.

Ultra-Low Loss transformers are just one example of a decarbonisation measure for EV charging infrastructures. The road to Net Zero is not straightforward and every technological breakthrough needs to be part of the conversation. 1/3 of the global GHG comes from energy and if we add transportation to that, it becomes 1/2 of the global GHG emissions. Reducing the footprint of these two sectors should be on the table of every decision-making conversation.