Podcast

Ramping Up: Unlocking the Value in EV Infrastructure Investment

This episode, from the Ramping Up event, explores how EV leaders tackle challenges in scaling customer-focused charging infrastructure.

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PodcastDuration 34min 

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption accelerates, questions remain around the pace, scale, and long-term commercial viability of the infrastructure needed to support it.

In this episode, part of our Ramping Up series, leaders from investment, banking, advisory and policy came together to examine how we can unlock scalable, investable EV charging infrastructure and what it will take to build a commercially sustainable network. 

Hear expert perspectives on:

  • Charging business models: Performance across AC and rapid charging, neighbourhood and en-route solutions, and how consumer and commercial demand is shifting.

  • Public policy and regulation: How government and local authorities can help shape a viable market and support delivery at scale.

  • Capital and funding: What investors and lenders are looking for, and how funding can be unlocked to support infrastructure rollout.

  • Commercial risk and bankability: Managing operational and financial risks in a still-evolving market.

  • Technology and innovation: The role of new tech in shaping viable models and enhancing future resilience.

Bringing together leaders from across the EV ecosystem, this discussion provides valuable insights into how commercial realities, policy frameworks, and innovation intersect to drive deployment and where the most promising opportunities lie for future investment and impact.

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Key takeaways 

  • The question is not whether the transition will happen, but when. Despite that certainty, however, investment depends on greater predictability regarding where and when charging demand will emerge, the types of charging infrastructure drivers prefer, and what they are willing to pay.
  • Investment appetite correlates with operating risk. To capitalise on this fast-growing sector, more efficient investment may require much closer focus on associated commercial risk.
  • Create a customer-centric experience, and investability rests on the operator’s laser-like focus on the customer's EV charging experience.

Guest(s)

  • Priya Veerapen, Managing Director, Infracapital
  • Vicky Read, CEO, Charge UK
  • Dr. Julia Kowalle, Head of Asset Strategy - Global Structured Finance Department, SMBC Bank International plc
  • David Scribner, Partner, CBHH

Host(s)

  • Alex Georgianna, Associate Director, Steer

📝 Download the episode transcript here.

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