New International Electric Vehicle Charge Point Product

As the renewable energy sector continues to see rapid growth in the UK and globally, we’re focused on developing innovative insurance solutions that support this industry acceleration.


We’ve seen a growing number of private companies installing public Electric Vehicle charging points, in areas such as car parks and motorway service stations across the UK and around the world. As a leading insurer in Renewable Energy, we’re committed to the continuous development and streamlining of solutions that cater for these technologies.


What’s new

In response to evolving demand, we’re pleased to share, our Renewable Energy products have now expanded. This includes the launch of an International Electric Vehicle Charge Point product. Building on our existing UK offering, this is available stand-alone, through London Market brokers in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific on the following basis:

  • Construction All Risks including Delay in Start-Up
  • Operational All Risks including Business Interruption


We’ve also updated wordings for our Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Solar Photovoltaic and Wind products aligning to market requirements and enabling international trading. These developments are based on client feedback that specific insurance solutions were needed for niche renewable systems.


Risk engineering expertise

Whilst renewables represent an exciting area of development in transitioning towards cleaner forms of energy, as new technologies emerge, so do evolving risks. Our team of specialist renewable energy experts are on hand to develop insurance solutions and relevant risk management support, helping renewable businesses navigate a field of complex risks. 


Hear from our engineering underwriting and inspection leads, Ahmad and Nigel discussing how Aviva are developing new solutions to support rapid growth in the sector, and how we can successfully manage the risks they pose.

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Transcript  for video EV charge points

AHMAD: Hi, my name's Ahmad Raja, and today I am joined by Nigel Haddock, and today we'll be discussing the Aviva EV ChargePoint proposition. So, Nigel, why do we need to be discussing electric vehicle EV charging points? 

 

NIGEL: So essentially, we've got, uh, government targets, 300,000 units to be manufactured and installed by 2030. Now, I don't see that as a problem from a manufacturer and supply, it's the grid. At this moment in time, they just don't have the infrastructure. But we are in a position to get these assets electrically tested for safety, and we're all geared up for this. 

 

AHMAD: Okay, thanks Nigel. So that's the government's aspirational targets. So currently there's roughly 49,000 commercial EV charge stations across 29,000 locations in the UK. Clearly, that's some way short of the government aspirations in this sector, but positively it does represent a 40% increase year on year. So this increase is being felt across the network and subsequently the demand for more innovative insurance solutions is coming to market. 

If we look at future growth in the sector, there's lots of different areas that this sector can diversify into to meet the customer demand. And what we're already seeing is a 90% increase, year on year are the ultra rapid charges that have been installed across the UK. 

Another area of diversification is where other renewable energy technologies are supplying power for the EVs. 

So we're seeing wind, solar going into the integration process and also battery energy storage being integrated into the larger sites. 

So all in all, there's a lot going on in the sector and it's actually a really interesting time for developers to come into that space and push the boundaries on what's possible to meet the future customer demand. 

 

NIGEL: Okay, so what's the Aviva proposition? How can we help to support in this area? 

 

AHMAD: So the Aviva proposition's twofold. Firstly, we have a product aimed at the installers of EV ChargePoint, where we can offer an all risk policy including testing, commissioning, and potential to add on delayed startup costs.  

Secondly, we're able to offer an All Risks policy, including breakdown for the owners and operators of the EV charge stations with a potential to add on loss of revenue. 

So if we look at the target markets and segments, we're currently getting the most traction from service station owners and operators, local car parks, landlords, and the local authorities. 

 

NIGEL: Now that's really good. So, to support that, what we've been doing from an inspection side of things, I've been setting systems up, so internally we can add EV charge points for inspection really very easily for our existing book of business. So I've been able to arrange, from the inspection side, Bureau Veritas, who, as you know, is our statutory inspection provider to arrange for inspections from a safety perspective, and that will support our proposition. 

 

AHMAD: Yeah and supporting the UK in its transition towards a lower carbon economy is at the forefront of our strategic development. It's an area we've worked really hard on at Aviva, and I'm really proud that we've been able to bring this product to market, pulling together experts from claims, underwriting and risk management with the hope that this can bring more capital investment into the sector. To support this ambition the EV charge points need to be operating efficiently. 

Can you share any insights from BV to support this ambition? 

 

NIGEL: Yeah, not only do they need to be working efficiently, they need to be working safely, and that's where Bureau Veritas has come in, and why we're very pleased that we've been able to set up, the inspection regimes to support our customers. Don't forget these, these items are working outside, they're in normal weathers. They're subject to impact damage. Leads will get damaged, charge points will wear, and it's the normal electrical safety that we have to consider for all these items. And so it's really important that these things are being operated more or less by untrained people who might be using this piece of kit for the first time. And so strategically, it's got to be easy to use, but it's got to be safe. And that's a really important aspect of this. 

And Bureau Veritas will ensure they'll do two inspections per annum and each of those inspections, the thorough examination, electrical testing, testing of the RCDs.  

 So I'm really pleased that we've been able to engage with them to support us on the insurance product. From an inspection perspective, we've already seen a large increase on the book. 

How do you see this playing out on the insurance side? 

 

AHMAD: I'd mirror your comments, Nigel. As more EV charges are put in the ground and there's more capital investment coming into the sector, we expect the insurance requirements to increase. And I feel confident that we're well placed to match that demand. We have the appropriate risk management claims expertise and underwriting to really make a difference in this sector. 

And I'm really proud to stand behind this product for Aviva.

And we at Aviva are excited to see how this product develops and how we can look to support our brokers and customers in ensuring a lower carbon economy in the UK. Thank you all for watching, and if you need any more information, please refer to the Aviva Specialty Lines Hub on the Aviva Broker website. 

We’re constantly working to develop effective risk management programmes, helping you stay one step ahead. For further guidance, take a look at some of our new Loss Prevention Standards:


Get in touch

For more information about our Renewables offering and how to get in touch with the team, please visit our dedicated renewables webpage.


Disclaimer: While we are working towards our sustainability ambitions, we acknowledge that we have relationships with businesses and existing assets that may be associated with significant emissions. More information can be found at https://www.aviva.com/sustainability/climate/

For more information about our risk management expertise for Renewables, please visit our Sustainability hub which hosts a range of guidance and resources.