Traffic cone alert: The impact of electric vehicle charging point roll out on traffic disruption

‘Posh village being ruined for months by roadworks to install EV chargers’ was a Sun headline back in October 2023. One local shop owner is stated as claiming that the disruption had led to the loss of thousands of pounds worth of trade. The aim of the roadworks through this village was primarily to deliver power to the new charging units at the nearby M1 service station. Installing EV chargers requires improving power supply which invariably requires digging up roads and causing traffic disruption.

Interestingly, recent research conducted by the RAC indicates that the Government is not on track to hit its motorway services target for EV charging points. Less than a quarter have the target number of chargers to serve the UK’s estimated 760,000 battery electric vehicles – EV charge point target for motorway services ‘at risk’ (fleetnews.co.uk).

But what about EV chargers in the streets near your home, office or school? Many local authorities are rolling out charging stations throughout their regions and disruption due to road works will get worse as a result. A 2016 English Housing Survey revealed that 62% of UK residents do not have driveways or the means to safely charge their own electric vehicle. There is a push by government to install chargers in locations more accessible to the public, such as car parks and public buildings. The UK government plans to support the market to reach 300,000 public electric vehicle charge points by 2030 – equivalent to almost 5 times the number of fuel pumps on our roads today.

As part of the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy (UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) £500 million will be invested to bring high quality, competitively priced public charge points to communities across the UK. This includes a £450 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which will boost projects such as EV hubs and innovative on-street charging, so those without driveways don’t miss out on cleaner transport.

Whatever happens, the road will need to be dug-up, as will some pavements. This will lead to temporary disruption and traffic management measures for some locations. However, this does provide opportunities for road and pavement improvements. The rollout of EV charging points presents an opportunity to upgrade and improve road and pavement infrastructure. For example, road works associated with EV charging point installation could coincide with road resurfacing or other maintenance projects, minimizing disruptions to road users.

The coordination of roadworks is a challenge for Highways Authorities and local authorities. They typically rely on a software system to coordinate activities, such as Trafficworx. Trafficworx (Road Works Coordination and Management – Integrated Skills (integrated-skills.com)) provides highways authorities and key stakeholders (utility companies, contractors, emergency services, etc) with digital mapping, a planning database and automated procedures to manage the road network effectively, to avoid traffic disruption and reduce the impact of road works. As information moves between highways authorities and stakeholders, permit applications for works, such as EV charger installation and related cable work, are approved and information is automatically published on a website, enabling the public to see live information on the current and expected status of road works and diversion routes.

Beyond the installation of EV charging points there is another challenge facing Highways Authorities. A number of experts have warned of increased road degradation over time due to the weight of EVs as they are so much heavier than carbon fuelled vehicles. This will potentially lead to more remediation work on roads as they deteriorate. Trafficworx handles a vast array of road work processes essential to effective road works planning and co-ordination including inspection and rectification procedures.

As we race toward a net zero future in our electric cars we must expect disruption and more traffic cones on the streets. The EV charging point roll-out is gaining pace and will peak over the next few years. Thankfully there are software systems available to Highways Authorities, such as Trafficworx, that will help ease the congestion.