Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what increases in electric supply they envisage in order to meet any increased electricity demand across the UK from electric vehicles.

The electricity market is already set up to promote investment in generation capacity to meet demand; for example, the Contracts for Difference scheme facilitates significant investment in low-carbon generation. We are confident that the grid will be able to cope with increased demand from electric vehicles.

‘Smart’ charging of electric vehicles can reduce demands from electric vehicle charging at peak times by building in flexibility. The Government has taken powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act to mandate that all chargepoints sold or installed in the UK must be smart enabled, and we have recently consulted on secondary regulations. The Government is engaging with Ofgem and industry to ensure demand from electric vehicles can be accommodated.