Role of data and digitalisation policy mixes in the UK’s smart and flexible electric-mobility transition

Aslı Ateş¹, Katherine Lovell¹ and Karoline Rogge^1,2

¹University of Sussex, UK, ²Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Germany

Background

For many countries, electrification is considered as one of the most feasible pathways to decarbonise their transport systems. However, integrating these two historically separate infrastructure systems, transport, and electricity, brings various challenges. Although the combination of challenges varies across national settings, much can be learned from the UK as a frontrunner in cultivating data and digital solutions. Through a “smart and flexible electric-mobility” pathway the UK government plans advancing flexibility in the electricity system, both in terms of increasing capacity of energy assets (such as enabling electric vehicles’ (EVs) participation into grid) and capability to use demand side response through smart features (such as charging the EVs during off-peak times) from digital technologies. Creation of this pathway has been shaped by the UK government’s data and digitalisation policy mixes^[1] in electricity and mobility systems. And realisation of this pathway will be dependent on how well the existing and emerging challenges (such as data privacy issues, cyber security risks, and the need for different governance and management systems) will be addressed by policy makers and practitioners in this increasingly complex area.

In this research we investigate the emerging data and digitalisation policy mix in the UK and its implications for the emerging e-mobility system, by centring our analysis on two key policy documents (the EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy and the EV Smart Charging Action Plan). In doing so, we answer the following research questions:

How do data policy mixes influence the emergence of the new integrated electric mobility system in the UK?

How do actors and their interests play role in shaping data policy mixes for the UK’s smart and flexible electric mobility pathway?

Methods

We use three main data sources: (1) expert interviews undertaken with relevant actors from industry, civil society, policy makers and academia between November 2022 and April 2023; (2) policy making documents (including consultations, commissioned reports, relevant department projects) related to the two key policies; and (3) relevant publications from the industry, academia, and civil society organisations.

Preliminary Results 

We map the historical evolution of the UK’s data policy mix, tracing its emergence to developments in three separate eco-systems: electricity demand data (smart meter ecosystem), electricity supply data (electricity network system) and electric-mobility energy supply data (public charging infrastructure network). These distinctive systems have influenced the design of the UK’s smart EV charging vision and action plan.

We then investigate the roles of key actors in the emergence of the UK’s smart EV charging action plan and discuss its implications for business models and technologies, market and governance structures, and consumers benefits in the new electric-mobility system. Initial findings showbusiness models evolving into multi-actor partnerships for providing smart charging services. We also find that the potential of in-vehicle data (electric-mobility energy demand data) is being limited by mobility actors’ interests. Finally, there is a risk of the spread of smart charging benefits being constrained (as seen with the smart meters) without impactful measures for (re-) gaining consumer trust over data privacy and system support.

We discuss our findings for the UK by comparing them to similar developments in Germany and related data policy mix changes in the European Union.

Conclusion

We conclude our research with suggestions on what policies or strategies on data and digitalisation can support responding to the integration challenges and outline future avenues for research.

[1] With data policy mix we refer to policy strategies and instruments that target the increase of data availability and accessibility, the creation of data architecture(s), and enabling regulation for data sharing.