In November 2021, pioneering Electric Vehicle (EV) city Dundee hosted an industry-leading conference showcasing what the future holds for the electric vehicle industry.
As one of Europe’s most exciting cities for electric vehicle infrastructure, Dundee was chosen to host the prestigious Electric Vehicle Initiative (EVI) Pilot City Forum, which took place 8th and 9th November 2021. The forum offered a unique insight into innovative EV infrastructure projects across Europe and the strategies which shape the industry, as well as talks from leading figures in the EV sector.
We caught up with the Dundee City Council team to understand what the event meant for the city and to understand the future of EV sector.
Why the shift to Electric Vehicles is central to global climate action
The climate revolution has been steadily gathering momentum in recent years and will reach new heights as world leaders gathered in Glasgow for COP26 in October 2021 for critical discussions on tackling climate change and averting a climate disaster. The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report underscores it is still possible to achieve the 1.5-degree target but only if unprecedented action is taken.
The UK government confirmed it will ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 as part of a ‘green industrial revolution’, with hybrids set to be banned five years later in 2035.
The change to EVs will require greatly improved EV charging infrastructure. Think tank ‘Policy Exchange’ estimated that the UK will require approximately 400,000 public chargers by 2030. The UK Government unveiled a £1 billion investment in EVs as part of its 2050 Net Zero strategy. This includes around £620 million for targeted EV grants and infrastructure and a further £350 million to boost the electric vehicle supply chain.
From Dundee to Dund-E - becoming the UK’s EV capital
Dundee is streets ahead of the rest of the UK in the race to become EV ready having been named ‘Europe’s Most Visionary Electric Vehicle City’ by the World Electric Vehicle Association.
For over a decade Dundee has been piloting innovative EV infrastructure projects and has developed a number of revolutionary multi-storey EV charging hubs as well as a network of pop-up EV chargers located throughout the city. The city council already has a fleet of over 100 fully electric vehicles (including a street sweeper and electric bin lorries). These innovations ensure that Dundee City Council is well on its way to meeting its ambitious goal of converting 20% of all vehicles in Dundee to electric by 2027.