Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero – GRIDSERVE Exec Keynote
Speaking at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Sam Clarke, Chief Vehicle Officer at GRIDSERVE delivers a keynote on the electrification of commercial vehicles, the expanding infrastructure, and heavy goods vehicles.
Expansion of the charging infrastructure
Sam begins his keynote with his background in the industry and the activities of GRIDSERVE – a sustainable energy company involved in EV-related initiatives.
"I've owned, operated and run electric vehicles for a very long time, starting it in the world of electric motorbikes and scooters in the early 2000s,” said Sam.
Since its founding, GRIDSERVE has made significant strides in expanding the EV infrastructure. The company is one of the largest and busiest charging networks in the UK with over 200,000 monthly sessions.
"We've come a long way from charging no one, nowhere to 200,000 sessions every month,” said Sam.
Transport emissions and decarbonising heavy vehicles
Despite the progress made in passenger vehicle electrification, commercial vehicle decarbonisation remains a challenge due to the volumes of diesel-powered heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
"98% of the HGVs are still diesel. Diesel is not the way forward,” said Sam.
With transport accounting for a significant amount of the UK’s GHG emissions, efforts to transition HGVs to electric power will be crucial to reduce emissions.
In collaboration with Innovate UK, GRIDSERVE is embarking on a £100m project to deploy infrastructure across the UK suitable for HGV charging.
"We're running out of time to address the climate crisis, and if we're going to have an impact, a meaningful impact, then we need solutions which are commercially viable,” said Sam.
Challenges, solutions, and future prospects
Sam also discusses the challenges of electrification, including battery swapping and the need for high-power charging solutions, to combat these challenges GRIDSERVE aims to gather data to assess the feasibility and total cost of ownership of electric HGVs.
GRIDSERVE is also exploring partnerships with other transport sectors, such as buses, to maximise the charging infrastructure and utilisation, as well as supporting research into alternative fuels like hydrogen.
"We're getting to the point now where we're looking at, including within this trial, up to one megawatt charging being distributed potentially into vehicles of the future,” said Sam.
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