EV Charging

Boasting benefits such as lower running costs and road tax, congestion charge exemptions and reduced environmental impact, it is no surprise that electric vehicles have become increasingly popular over the last decade. As of November 2024, it was reported that there were over 1.3 million fully electric vehicles in the UK. With so many electric vehicles now on our roads, the infrastructure to charge them has been forced to grow dramatically to keep up with the demand.

Whilst some EV users have at-home charge points to charge their vehicle overnight, ready for the next day, the typical range of an EV vehicle is between 200 – 350 miles. This means for long-distances drivers, they are forced to stop and charge along the way.

Drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles are used to spending 2-3 minutes filling the car with fuel, and driving away, however the time taken to ‘fill up’ an EV is much longer than this.

To reduce the charge time ultra-fast chargers (100+kW) are being installed on many sites including existing petrol filling stations (PFS) and retail parks. The roll-out of ultra-fast chargers is great for EV drivers, reducing charging times, however one of the consequences is, unlike home chargers, ultra-fast chargers can have a noise impact on the surrounding environment.

In most cases, EV charging points are installed far away from any residential or noise sensitive receptors or in environments with high existing noise levels. In such cases noise is unlikely to be an issue. However, for charging sites that operate 24-hours a day or are located adjacent to residential properties, noise from the units can cause significant disruption to nearby residents, who complain of a tonal, near-constant whirring noise from the cooling fans inside of the charging unit, and other associated noise such as closing of car doors.

The appearance of “greener energy” means that noise from these charging points is often overlooked and sometimes is not recognised as an issue until the unit has been installed.

At existing fuel stations, charging units are, due to health and safety reasons, located on the boundary of the site away from the forecourt area. This often means that charging points are sometimes located directly adjacent to neighbouring residential properties. In addition, as the number of EV’s on the road increases, often there can be multiple cars all charging at the same time. The combined use of chargers in close proximity to residential properties can have significant impact and it is essential that this is considered at planning stage to avoid costly mitigation measures or restrictions on the use.

Over the past few years, Sharps Redmore have seen an increase in the demand for noise assessments for proposed EV charging stations. Our assessments have included new EV charging points being installed at new or existing fuel stations and for new dedicated charging stations, where there are multiple chargers available for use 24-hours a day/7 days a week. Working for clients such as BP Pulse as they roll-out the programme of EV charging hubs and ultra-fast charging points, we have identified sites where noise may be an issue, carried out a detailed acoustic assessment, including the use of computer modelling to predict noise levels, and identified solutions to mitigate the impact of noise. This has included use of screening or canopies over the charging points, which has had the additional benefit of protecting drivers against adverse weather.

As many of us work towards a greener future, it is important to also consider not just carbon emission pollution but noise pollution as well. If you are looking for help or advice regarding noise from EV charging stations, please get in touch.

E: contact@sharpsredmore.com

P:01473 730073