Sceptics say EVs will overwhelm the grid. In fact, they could be part of the solution

Electric vehicles are ‘batteries on wheels’ that can put energy back into the National Grid when solar panels and windfarms do not provide much power.

There are so many moving parts in the energy transition that it will be unclear exactly how countries including the UK will avoid blackouts. Fiona Howarth, chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles, says that business models have not been fully worked out. But she adds that electric cars can help to keep the lights on. “EVs are really part of the solution,” she said. “They are batteries on wheels.”

There are 1 million electric cars on UK roads. When that hits 10m, Haworth says, “we could literally power the whole of the UK at peak time”.