Feature 5 min read
The London EV Show 2023
Entering its third year, the London EV Show brings together manufacturers, suppliers, engineers, thought leaders and decision-makers from across the automotive value chain to help drive the future of clean energy transportation forward
The London EV Show is very much a business to business event and an opportunity for industry leaders and enthusiasts within the e-mobility world to network. The tradeshow and conference is now in its third year and the largest of its kind in Europe. It gathers together everyone from International car manufacturers and companies to start-ups over its 15,000sqm space at ExCel London to showcase a range of innovative products and solutions, services and electrification technologies.
This year a lot of the exhibitors seemed to be those serving the electric charging infrastructure, which is great news for EV owners and those thinking of making the jump, with charging anxiety now more a prime concern than range anxiety! One such company is Blink Charging which started life as an EV charging company, Electric Blue. Its founder, Alex Calnan was working for a local taxi company that was trialling EVs and saw a business opportunity in developing EV charging infrastructure.
With the help of family, he set up Electric Blue Charging. By 2022, the company had 2000 chargers across the UK and Ireland and customers in sectors including local authorities, NHS healthcare trusts, universities, and fleets. Last year, EB Charging was acquired by Blink Charging – the Nasdaq listed US based global charging company, with over 30,000 charging ports in 18 countries. This is Blink Charging’s first move into the UK, where it plans to expand their product offerings to include new commercial and home chargers, new global network services and apps, and new fleet management tools. Blink has just launched the EQ200, a new generation of scalable and bi-directional charging solution with vehicle-to-grid capability.
As well as being a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice for individuals, electric vehicles are also a good practical choice for businesses and there were a few companies specialising in two seater electric vehicles with up to 100 miles range such as My Electric Vehicle. Established in 2005, MEV is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of electric vehicles and its range encompasses cars for young drivers through to commercial fleets in Government departments.
JLC EV also had its range of vehicles on display helping individuals and organisations an eco-friendly, low maintenance, economical solution for their transportation needs. Their City 1 last mile delivery solution priced from 12,999 (plus VAT) with 74 miles and 125 mile range NEXTEM Orca Van with a load capacity of 1000kg priced from 26,999 seemed to be getting the most attention from tradespeople.
Car makers, including Ford (with the Explorer and Mustang Mach-E ), Toyota (bZ4X), Subaru (Solterra), Mercedes (EQE) and Tesla (Model Y) were all present, but I think the star of the show was Lotus who unveiled its charging offerings designed for businesses including an ultra-fast 450 kW DC charger, a modular power cabinet that is suited for spaces that require high energy in order to increase efficiency and minimise charging time, such as motorway rest stops and a unit for charging up to four vehicles at once.
Lotus is using liquid-cooled technologies throughout its suite of commercial charging solutions to make it easier and quicker for EV drivers to charge their vehicles. They have already been deployed in China and are expected to roll out across the majority of European countries and Middle East in Q2 2024, with Germany and Austria following at a later date.
Beyond vehicles, charging systems, battery technologies, and business solutions, this show also holds insightful sessions, panel discussions, Q&As, and investment-focused programs from over 166 speakers. Covering the entire breadth of the entire EV ecosystem the conferences were always packed out. From decarbonizing commercial fleets to fast charging with integrated storage and EV sustainability challenges, from micro mobility to automotive battery design and range, supply chain and market dynamics – just to name a few – every crucial topic was covered.
The show also witnessed some important announcements, including the awarding of contracts for an additional 51 sites for rapid charge points to the event’s esteemed sponsor, charge point operator – Zest, and GLA’s plans for five new ultra rapid electric vehicle charging hubs, supposed to facilitate rapid charging in an impressive 10-30 minutes.
In order to enable a transportation landscape completely dominated by electric vehicles we need to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing between governments, industry players, academia and both private and public stakeholders. And that's the aim of the London EV Show - to become an institution within the global EV community and see real time business leads close, which explains the number of break-out rooms available!
It was great to see so much hype around EVs and a shared passion to promote the benefits of sustainable transportation and green mobility; however we can't help but feel it could have been bigger and better. Publicity materials quoted more than 300 exhibitors but there were in fact just 140 listed in the event catalogue so we wouldn’t be surprised to find that the supposed 10,000 attendees is also an optimistic figure.
The event did feel very quiet – perhaps because we visited on the first morning but that said it’s a key day in the show calendar for companies to gauge instant market reaction and feedback on their latest product offerings, engage directly with buyers and investors and build strategic business alliances. And you can't undermind the event's success in helping to forge ongoing partnerships, showcase innovative solutions, and bring about transformative policies.
Comments (1)
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Joosup
03/01/2024 07:24
Agreed, the event overall did feel fairly quiet which wasn't helped by major delays on the Elizabeth Line on the final day. But it was still a very positive experience and a great way to network with likeminded organisations.