The UK 2040 ban on internal combustion engines, and the resulting push towards electrification, in a large part, is aimed at the improvement of air quality. In towns and cities existing and planned Ultra-low emissions zones will enforce this change, but the entirety of the road network will need to support ever greater number of electric vehicles (EVs).

The adoption of EVs is a "chicken and egg" scenario of charger availability and demand for charging. However, to encourage individuals and businesses to switch to electric, charging infrastructure must lead. The challenge this represents to organisations, such as Highways England, tasked with facilitating rollout of EV charging, is where to invest in infrastructure ahead of known demand. Upgrading of grid connections, if available, can run into the millions and take years to deploy. Furthermore, it cannot be guaranteed that investment will have been made into the right location.

IPG have solved these challenges by bringing the efficiency of centralised power to the microscale. The high temperature ceramics at the heart of IPG's technology will enable delivery of 51% electrical efficiency in 100kW modules. A 45% increase over typical diesel or gas gensets and comparable to combined cycle gas power plants. So, whether a system contains a single module, or 25 in a 2.5MW plant, IPG offer unrivalled fuel-usage and emission reductions. The high efficiency of IPG's turbine system not only cuts CO2 emissions by up to 57% on natural gas, but the innovative use of flameless combustion eliminates harmful pollutant emissions, such as NOx, CO, and particulate matter. Given the flexibility of IPG's flameless combustion, net zero CO2 emissions can be achieved by the utilisation of future fuels such as Hydrogen and Bio-gas.

This SME led project seeks to demonstrate the IPG Turbine System as a grid-independent, ultra-low emissions, and low-cost power provider for EV charging solutions. This technology, if deployed across the Highways England network, would both alleviate the grid stress in high usage areas and enable remote locations to facilitate electric vehicle charging, that previously were inaccessible for grid-connected charging units. This could potentially offer the Highways England a solution to facilitate the increasing adoption to electric vehicles. Most critically, this enables Highways England to offer a solution to EV charging that meets the growing demand for electric vehicles in all locations, that offers a vast reduction in emissions, improving air quality for its users.