, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 3
Welcome back, everyone, to this meeting of the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee at the Welsh Parliament, Senedd Cymru. We're continuing with our work, and, indeed, our third evidence session on electric vehicle charging. Joining us…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Well, I think we've come a long way since then, but clearly, there's a long way to go still. We've come to the end of our hour, so can I thank you both very much indeed for your evidence this morning? You'll be sent a draft of the transcript just to check for…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Yes. It's different, but very relevant, of course. Jenny, did you want to pick up on something?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
I think it touches on the wider cultural change that needs to happen, but maybe Transport for Wales should be shouting a bit louder, really, in terms of what you're doing and what the opportunities are, and what provision is being put out there so that people…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
I'm glad you recognise that, because some of the evidence we've had suggests that, in public communications, when you look at it in the round, there's very little reference to EV charging from Transport for Wales. Given that it is a focus of your work, maybe…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Okay. We've got about 10 minutes left, so just a couple more questions, if we may. I was just going to ask you to outline a little bit of Transport for Wales's work on communication and stakeholder management generally, but particularly the development and…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Yes, yes. Sure.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Okay. Thank you. Huw, did you want to come in on this?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
There's a lot of talking to Welsh Government that needs to happen. Now, I'm a bit concerned, because we have a strategy and we have an action plan, but still there are a lot of areas that you say you still need to discuss. Surely we should be ahead a little…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
How do we avoid a situation where the private sector comes in and cherry-picks the more lucrative options, because it was in evidence earlier that we heard that there are models of bundling together, or mixing together, the higher and the lower return…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
So, we don't have a representative from local authorities, obviously, but maybe, Geoff, you'd have a general overview on that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Okay. Thank you. Right, sorry, Janet, we'll come to you now then. There we are.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Yes, okay. I know Janet wants to come in on private investment in a moment, but, before we get there, I just wanted to cover one other area, really, and it's about delivering infrastructure on the strategic road network, which has obviously been a focus of…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Because some of the evidence we had earlier suggested that we don't need that, because average car journeys are 20 minutes, they said, and you don't need to be charging every car in every household every night.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Because the planning system can drive a lot of this, can't it? It really can create that necessity to incorporate much of the infrastructure into everyday developments.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
We've strayed into planning quite a bit there. I don't know, Jenny, if you want to pick up on some of those points.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
You're right; there's always that danger that we just keep on demanding more and more and more. Huw.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Yes, okay. Is there anything in terms of planning that could help facilitate some of that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Because we or whoever could articulate a vision in terms of where anticipated investment is required in terms of the grid, but that doesn't make it happen, does it? And who pays for that and all of that? Much of this is not devolved, as well, so there are a…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
So, there are two things there, aren't there, there's the grid as it is and then the potential of greater innovation, really, so maybe addressing both of those.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Yes, that's an important point. Okay, thank you. Right, we want to focus on grid infrastructure, which comes up regularly in these discussions, so, Janet, do you want to start on that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
Yes. Okay. Sure. Okay, thank you for that. Of course, we've already seen that a number of KPI deadlines haven't been met: I've got establishing the connections group, a building regulations review, development of the national procurement standard…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
And not insignificant items.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
It may be the right place, but obviously, there's a long list there, isn't there?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Electric vehicle charging - evidence session 2
But what about your role in terms of bringing people together and driving this? Excuse the pun. Because clearly, we've seen it happen in other public sector realms. Natural Resources Wales: they've been thrown a large number of additional responsibilities and…
