Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the (a) additional grid capacity and (b) electricity generating requirements that will be needed to achieve the ban of internal combustion engine sales by 2035.

We are consulting on bringing forward the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles; including hybrids under this definition for the first time, to 2035, or earlier if feasible. We will be engaging with stakeholders, including those in the energy sector, to understand what support will be required to enable this transition, and minimise the impact on businesses, workers and consumers across the UK, building on the significant demand and supply side measures in place.

Our analysis suggests limited additional impact on electricity generation capacity up to 2030. 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. This complements numerous measures to ensure a smarter, more flexible energy system, increasing the efficiency of the electricity system to prepare for electric vehicles. Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, is developing its next set of energy network price controls to incentivise network companies to be ready for the future needs of the energy system, including the required capacity required to support EVs.

‘Smart’ charging of electric vehicles (at off-peak times) can reduce demand from Electric Vehicle charging at peak times. Government has taken powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act to mandate that all charge points sold or installed in the UK must be smart enabled and has recently consulted on secondary regulations. Government has also invested £30 million to support vehicle-to-grid technology, where the storage capability of electric vehicle batteries provides electricity back to the grid.