Brinley Buckley-Roberts, Product Marketing Executive at C.K Tools, provides an installer’s guide to the BEV revolution.
Last month (June) saw the arrival in the UK of new electric cars from Lexus, Lotus and Peugeot, following hot on the heels of launches from Skoda, Mercedes, Volvo and Honda earlier in the year. There are more electric cars on the road than ever before, with a growth of more than 40% between 2022 and 2023.
The Accelerating to Zero coalition (A2Z) launched at COP27 in November announced a goal that all sales of new cars and vans would be zero emission by 2040 or earlier, or by no later than 2035 in leading markets.
Meanwhile, DAF trucks will launch two battery electric trucks this year, heralding “new standards in distribution” as online retailers making deliveries seek to drive down their emissions. A glance at job listings shows that manufacturers are searching for electric talent to accelerate battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology, and software developers to take on the challenge of cyber security in electric vehicles, including in commercial fleets.
Charging points are appearing across the UK at a similar rate to vehicles on the road, increasing by 35% between 2022 and 2023.
The electric revolution is here
And so, change is well underway in the electrical trade. Universities and colleges nationwide are offering courses in electric vehicle engineering and maintenance and a skills-led green labour market will soon be upon us. There will be no shortage of demand for installers, with great opportunity to either switch career focus or supplement the existing workload.
But what do installers need to do their job? What tools and accessories? How does it differ from a standard electrician’s or electrical contractor’s kit?
As we do with most of our product research and development, we spent some time with our panel of electricians and installers to develop tools and kits specific for this job, to ensure clarity, comfort, control and efficiency. As a result, we’ve assembled two high quality EV specific kits for both existing and newly qualified installers – an EV Hand Tool Kit and EV Power Tools Accessories (PTA) Kit. Combined, they provide an easy one-stop-shop for any installer.
C.K EV Hand Tool Kit (T5984)
This is a collection of premium hand tools that provide everything needed to get the job done efficiently and professionally. It includes a state-of-the-art C.K Magma Technician’s Wheeled Case packed full of 25 premium hand tools that are designed to complete the stages of inspection and quotation, routing the cable from MCB to charger, mounting the charge point, fitting the cable to the charger point, terminating to MCB, fitting an earthing rod, and re-assembling the charge point.
C.K PTA Kit (T5985)
Available to purchase separately, this provides a great range of power tool accessories including quality drill bits, driver bits and hole saws to help complete the installation of EV chargers with the minimum of fuss.
The new C.K EV specific kits offer everything needed to complete the steps involved with providing an efficient and professional installation.
Get more details on C.K’s EV specific kits here
