Which smart cities are leading the electric transport revolution?

The transport industry is moving quickly. With climate change and poor air quality affecting us all, the impact that travel has on our environment and our health is increasingly coming into focus. Solutions for these urgent issues are being coordinated at an international level with global cooperation. This has led to a revolutionary move to make our cities carbon-neutral, which will transform the way people live, work and travel every day.

Trams, metro systems and some trains have been electric for decades, which is great news for the electric revolution. However, for maximum effect on the environment, road transport needs to follow this example. And to make it even more eco-friendly, electricity must be generated using renewable energy [1].

Electric vehicles (EVs) are part of the solution towards cleaner transport and cities, yet for some cities the emphasis isn't solely on EV use but on building a sustainable transport system. For example, the document Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy focuses on getting people out of their cars and on to public transport. The future of transport in our cities will include increased car sharing and multimodal travel as well.

Making the smart move

Smart cities will be at the forefront of this switch to electric travel. With rising air pollution, it's imperative to act now [1]. Ways to do this include:

• setting ambitious targets to become carbon-neutral faster, and creating incentives for the transition to electric transport; and
• making buses electric – they are a key part of the urban transit infrastructure, and the fact that they serve routine and fixed routes makes them ideal for electrification [1].

Copenhagen, Denmark
In a recent survey on air quality, Copenhagen was rated second out of 23 major European cities for its efforts [2].

This environmentally friendly city wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025 and will most likely be the first carbon-neutral capital in the world. To achieve this it needs to work on the 'energy efficiency first' principle [1]. This principle relates to both energy efficiency and demand response, and aims to systematically identify decision points where efficiency (both energy efficiency and demand response) will be taken into account and integrated [3].

Copenhagen's current goals and achievements for greener travel include the following.

• All cars in the municipal fleet are electric or hydrogen-powered. In the city's climate plan, the target is to achieve a complete transformation to electricity, hydrogen or biofuels.
• Copenhagen is one of Europe's most prolific cycling cities. In 2013, the modal split showed a very low rate of car use (29%). Public transport was at 28%, cycling at 36% and walking at 7%. The target is for 50% of all commuting journeys to be on bicycles.
• Currently, Copenhagen is investing in a new metro city ring, scheduled to have been finished in 2018, with a total of 17 stations in the city centre [2].

Shenzen, China
Sales of electric buses are booming and China is leading the way. All of the city of Shenzen's 16,000 buses are now electric. Electric buses emit fewer carbon emissions than diesel buses, and this has resulted in reducing CO2 emissions by 48% and cutting other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter [4].

To keep Shenzhen's EV fleet running, the city has built around 40,000 charging piles. Shenzhen Bus Company has 180 depots with their own charging facilities installed. One of its major depots can accommodate around 20 buses at the same time [5].

Los Angeles, America
Los Angeles has goals to establish a zero carbon grid, zero carbon transportation, zero carbon buildings, zero waste and zero wasted water by 2050 [6].

Its Green New Deal sets ambitious targets along its path to carbon neutrality, including plans to:

• increase EV in the city to 25% by 2025; 80% by 2035; and 100% by 2050;
• convert all city fleet vehicles to zero emission where technically feasible by 2028;
• install 400 EV chargers at city buildings and parks and all libraries and install 500 additional street light EV chargers; and
• install 10,000 publicly available EV chargers by 2022 and 28,000 by 2028 [6].

Public transport is also expected to play a role in reducing pollution and congestion. It plans to introduce expanded services and new routes that aim to increase ridership by 90%, and add 112 electric buses to its fleet to improve connections between regional bus and rail services. To get cars off the road, the city will conduct a congestion pricing pilot programme in 2025 [6].

Growing the publicly available EV charging infrastructure in Los Angeles alone is expected to support 1,500 jobs by 2025 [6].

London, UK
London is fully committed to introducing sustainable transport modes and tools. One of its innovations is the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) [4]. The UK's low emission vehicle industry is a huge success story and a great source of strength for the UK economy.

There is also the opportunity to include smart devices in EV infrastructure. The UK Government has commissioned BSI to produce standards for smart appliances, including smart EV charge points, in an industry-led process to help business and government scale up their EV roll-out safely [7].

The very nature of EV charging continues to evolve, with technologies emerging that are likely to have a significant impact on smart charge points and the future of smart charging more generally. Projects include charging smart lamp columns, charging pillars and ways to charge at home without off-street parking [8].

EV deployment on a large scale will put considerable demand on the electricity grid. To prepare for this, BSI is doing ongoing standards development work to link EVs with energy and make EV interactions with the grid 'smarter'. Smart EV charging is one of the topics BSI is exploring as part of its Energy Smart Appliances Programme.

Projects to receive government funding include:

• installing charge points in car parks to allow for mass charging at night [9];
• using existing Virgin Media physical and online infrastructure to deliver cost-effective and widespread charging, with high-speed internet connections to better share information online on charging progress and parking spaces [9];
• a cutting-edge storage and advanced electronics project that will deliver semi-rapid charging using a low power grid connection, minimizing the need for costly substation upgrades [9]; and
• the Road to Zero Strategy, which outlines how the Government will support the transition to zero emission road transport and reduce emissions from conventional vehicles during the transition.

Innovation for a better future
With public transportation, cities and society on the verge of changing rapidly, now is the time for the built environment, transport and smart cities industries to pursue innovation and lead the way in this revolution. Backing good practice further encourages increased adoption and value at scale.

BSI is recognized worldwide for facilitating new industry guidelines and next practices. We have extensive experience in intelligent transport systems, including communications between vehicles and fixed locations, and communication for smart cities.

Our knowledgeable and professional team can work with you to develop strategic frameworks and guidelines for smart cities, which will help reduce manufacturing costs, increase productivity and create consistency across your organization.

Standardizing your processes makes them more reliable and advanced than those of your competitors. Working with us can position you as a market leader and demonstrate a commitment to your brand. We can help you be recognized as a thought leader in your field as you strive for continuous improvement and adapt your business to meet the growing needs of your customers.

'Be a driving force in the electric transport revolution. BSI can help you take the lead.'
https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/our-services/standards-services/

Bibliography

[1] LAISI, VESA. How cities will lead the electric transport revolution. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, 2018. Available from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/cities-will-lead-the-electric-transport-revolution/ [viewed January 2020].

[2] VESTERGAARD ANDERSEN, ANNE. Copenhagen no.2 in Europe for Air Quality. STATE OF GREEN, 2015. Available from: https://stateofgreen.com/en/partners/state-of-green/news/copenhagen-no-2-in-europe-for-air-quality/ [viewed January 2020].

[3] What is Efficiency First? CLIENT EARTH, 2016. Available from: https://www.clientearth.org/what-is-efficiency-first/ [viewed January 2020].

[4] Will smart cities drive the electric transport revolution? E.ON Blog, 2019. Available from: https://www.eonenergy.com/blog/2019/April/future-of-electric-travel [viewed January 2020].

[5] KEEGAN, MATTHEW. Shenzhen's silent revolution: world's first fully electric bus fleet quietens Chinese megacity. THE GUARDIAN, 2018. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/dec/12/silence-shenzhen-world-first-electric-bus-fleet [viewed January 2020].

[6] YVKOFF, LIANE. Los Angeles Targets 100% Electric Vehicles In The City By 2050. FORBES, 2019. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lianeyvkoff/2019/04/29/los-angeles-targets-100-electric-vehicles-in-the-city-by-2050/#35db8aba3250 [viewed January 2020].

[7] Electric Vehicle Smart Charging. GOV.UK, 2019. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/817107/electric-vehicle-smart-charging.pdf [viewed January 2020].

[8] BELK, JENNIFER. On-street electric vehicle charging points: The Go Ultra Low Oxford Project. GOV.UK, 2017. Available from: http://apse.org.uk/apse/assets/File/Combined%20slides%20-%20Renewables%20AG%2026Apr2017.pdf [viewed January 2020].

[9] Solar, high speed and wifi charging set to revolutionise electric transport. GOV.UK, 2019. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/solar-high-speed-and-wifi-charging-set-to-revolutionise-electric-transport [viewed January 2020].