The number of devices that we must charge or use batteries for is constantly growing. This nowadays particularly goes for electric vehicles (EV), not to mention other devices such as smartphones, smart watches, tablets, headsets, speakers and smart scales.

Be it for transport or entertainment, almost every device we use now requires a battery, sensor, processor and software. A similar story of transformation is happening in the energy sector. It is necessary to plan correctly which vehicle will need how much energy and where.

A digital transformation in the energy industry is a must to correctly plan and understand the ever-growing energy need. There is a need for such investors who look long-term in order to set up a smart energy network.

In Turkey, the number of electric vehicle charging units is estimated to reach 54,000 in 2023, before folding to 1.1 million by 2030 and 4.8 million by 2040.

The unprecedented surge in this figure is mostly encouraged by incentives deployed for fast-charging stations. Yet, digital transformation is essential in the energy sector to find a healthy and sustainable clean source for the demand for fast charging that will increase rapidly.

One out of every two vehicles sold around the world are expected to be electric by 2030. The number of electric vehicles on the road around the world will hit 125 million by the end of this decade, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts. This volume increase indicates a 17.5% share in sales and a 7.5% share in inventory.

The share of electric vehicles is seen reaching 16% by 2024, a figure that is estimated to hit 95% in the European car market by 2035.

Indigenous all-electric car

Turkey is under the impression and excited that it will soon see its first indigenous electric vehicle on the roads. Yet, it still has to pay close attention to actual transformation in energy, as well as autonomous driving.

Although the automobile itself is what many see in Togg, it is the ecosystem that covers mobility and technology that matters even more, as frequently emphasized by the executives of the consortium developing Turkey’s domestically manufactured all-electric car.

It is necessary to have technology initiatives when it comes to the transformation of energy, the analysis of consumer behavior and autonomous driving. Therefore, mobility-oriented technology initiatives are seen grabbing more investment.

Schneider Electric Turkey General Manager Ismail Yamangil says they are focused on providing solutions with their partners to ventures that obtain licenses and that are required to meet conditions stated in the by-laws published by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).

"These solutions can be directly providing an electric vehicle charger, as well as projects such as planning and installing the energy infrastructure of the relevant buildings or facilities, increasing capacity if necessary, or providing energy from renewable sources," said Yamangil.

The validity of the licenses issued by the EPDK is 49 years, unless otherwise specified, he noted.

"Therefore, the reliability and sustainability of the system are important. The quality of the products used for this, the system infrastructure and the service network as a whole, as well as the correct planning of the facility from the moment of installation, are very important."

Revenue sharing

Yamangil says their main target with their partners and shareholders is to back sustainability in these fields.

"After the last regulation of the EPDK, companies that received an electric vehicle charging network license switched to a model of pricing per unit of energy used (per kWh). In addition, especially in recent negotiations with public institutions and organizations, we understand that they want to prefer a revenue-sharing model," he noted.

"For instance, they envision a model where the municipality, without incurring any investment cost, shares the revenue per charge with an investor who owns a license and is free to set up a charging facility anywhere. As can be seen, the subject of the income model is still being shaped around the priorities of regulations and investors. As electric vehicles become more widespread, we think that models will be formed that will benefit both investors and consumers."

Ever-growing energy need for housing

As with the Internet connection, the energy needed in houses and apartments will continue to increase.

Noting the importance of electric transformer planning according to this growing need, Yamangil emphasized that charging stations are aimed at charging as soon as possible within the limits and protecting your vehicle, charger and electrical installation from possible failures through the protection systems inside them.

"For example, knowing the limits of the existing electrical installation at a site, growing charging needs of households can be smartly managed within the limits of the electrical installations. Thanks to this system, in some applications, the need for electric charging can be met without otherwise making an additional investment to boost power," he noted.

"There are AC type 3.7 – 7.4 – 11- and 22-kW options for our detached home users. Although the charging times of these devices vary depending on the power of your car and the charge capacity, the average charging times for a car with a 40-kW battery can be seen," Yamangil explained.

He said they have products of the same power and size for building estate users as well.

"But the communication option is added to these products. With the communication option, five RFID cards are issued from each device, and these cards can be increased to 3,000 for each device. Thus, a card can be assigned to each apartment."

17 million electric vehicles

Turkey’s first indigenous all-electric car brand, Togg, is expected to add a significant pace to the expansion of electric vehicles in the country.

The number of electric vehicles in Turkey, which stood at 34,000 in 2021, is expected to reach 69,000 in 2023, 2.4 million in 2030 and about 17 million in 2040.

The share of electric vehicles in the total number is projected to reach 0.3% in 2023, before hitting 8% by 2030 and 38% in 2040.

For this increase to occur, the technology initiative ecosystem needs to take a leading role in the transformation.