4.21 The Engineering the Future Alliance (EtF), led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, has looked across sectors and provided its views on where the major engineering challenges in infrastructure are likely to emerge and the next two decades:
• if there is high take-up of electric vehicles then solutions will need to be found for the reuse or recycle of these batteries, when the first generation of these batteries comes to the end of their life;
• de-carbonisation of the electricity generation sector will need to be co-ordinated with increasing demand for electricity for electrified heating and charging electric vehicles. As a result, network stress may begin to build, particularly in distribution networks; and
• with increasing use of intermittent generation technologies, such as onshore and offshore wind, a technological solution to the problem of electricity storage will become increasingly desirable, provided smart grid and metering technology can enable the shifting of demand to match variations in supply. The same factors will also generate the need for flexible, back-up generation plants.
4.22 To address these challenges:
• the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Transport will work together to understand the planning linkages between the take-up of electric vehicles, smart grid technology and the de-carbonisation of the electricity generation sector. This will be set out in the next edition of the Office of Low Emission Vehicles Plug-in Vehicle Infrastructure strategy, due to be published in early 2013;
• the Office of Low Emission Vehicles will work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to understand the likely demand for electric vehicles, and develop policies for recycling or reuse of batteries well in time for when the first generation reach their end of life; and
• the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Ofgem are working together with the Office of Low Emission Vehicles and industry to understand the demands on smart grid technology, and to anticipate the enhancement of distribution networks if demand for electricity increases significantly.