2:50 pm, July 12, 2023
Rapid public EV chargers will have to be reliable for 99 per cent of the time under new government rules.
It’s one of the demands put forward under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, announced yesterday, which aim to encourage EV uptake by tackling unreliability and simplifying payment.
The rules say the rapid chargers will, on average, have to be ‘reliable for 99 per cent of the time during each calendar year’, with the providers forced to publish information about their reliability.
EV drivers will also only need one app to pay for public charge points that are run by different firms. At the moment, they have to use multiple smartphone apps or membership cards for different networks.
All chargers that deliver above 8kW of power will have to have a contactless payment feature to speed up the charge, too.
The new Department for Transport regulations aim to make it easier, cheaper and more convenient for people to charge EVs across the UK.
In turn, it’s hoped that will encourage the transition to electric vehicles ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
Clearer pricing is another requirement, with charging operators being forced to display the cost in pence per kilowatt hour before a charge has begun so that drivers can compare the cost of different networks.
Transport minister Jesse Norman said: ‘As demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, the government wants to make sure that drivers continue to have confidence in the UK’s charging network.
‘The regulations that the government has put forward today will improve the EV charging experience for millions.’
No official start date has been given, but once the regulations are in force, operators will have a year to comply.
RAC electric vehicles spokesman Simon Williams said: “We’re pleased to see the government has acknowledged there’s a need to improve drivers’ experience at public chargers and has now set out some clear actions to address this.
‘This has the potential to reassure many more people that switching to an electric vehicle makes sense, which is vital the closer we get to 2030 when the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end.
‘Ensuring drivers only need to download and use a single app is a huge step forward from where we are today.’
AA president Edmund King said: ‘This is a welcome step and we are pleased that the government has listened to our requests to create more confidence when charging away from home.
‘A 99 per cent reliability requirement and live charge point information will help show drivers in real time the benefits of driving electric.’
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘The focus on improving reliability, inter-operability and pricing transparency is good news, as they reflect the main issues people have when recharging.
‘The next step should be enabling contactless credit or debit card payments at public chargers below 8kW, which would benefit drivers who rely on on-street and destination chargers.’
Image via PA Media/Hyundai
