A lack of proper training and expertise could lead to unsafe situations and severe consequence, while installing EV chargers in houses, streets, and commercial places, as the UK prepares to reach it’s Electric Vehicle (EV) charging goals for 2030, and sales of EVs continue to grow.
That is based on the skills development organization of City & Guilds, which is calling on the industry to secure all those working on EV charging point installations are equipped with the skills. They need to install chargers which would be safe for both themselves and customers.
99% of respondents understood there could be major dangers connected with electric car charging work, in a survey conducted Censuswide on behalf of City & Guilds of 500 UK electricians. Despite the risks, just 28% of respondents stated they have undertaken specific electric car charge point training so far. With the vast majority (73%) of respondents likely to seek work in installing or repairing EV charge points next year. This shows a clear danger unless firms secure their manpower and have the necessary training, skills, knowledge, and experience to undertake the job with mitigated risk.
This new research is supported by findings from CENEX and OZEV (gathered for the Department for Transport), which reported that nearly a fifth (18%) of new in-house charge points are installed as part of the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS). This had possible risks. Just 32% were tagged as satisfactory.
City & Guilds’ Managing Director David Phillips commented, “The transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to EV ownership is critical to reducing global carbon emissions. But the speed of this transition will place massive pressure on those tasked with developing the new infrastructure of charging points required, particularly with just 28% of the UK’s current electricians trained to deliver it.“
“With the government setting a new target to increase the number of electric car chargers ten-fold to 300,000 by 2030, electricians will need to rapidly upskill to safely manage the workload – but currently the training just isn’t available nationally and there isn’t an impetus to undertake it. We need industry to recognize this safety issue and ensure these EV charging points are installed in a way that is standardized and safe, to avoid a potential disaster in the near future.”
City & Guilds is asking people in the industry to help its call to commercialize the EV charging market by creating their own commitment to drive up standards and promote security. If you want to participate in the campaign of City & Guilds, please make a pledge online, and we will issue you with a digital credential of City & Guilds that you can share with your grid.
