New electric car rules are set to revolutionise charging infrastructure and make owning an EV less of a headache.
Updated laws will mandate bays store enough charge at all times and feature simple pricing structures to ensure road users are not caught out.
Meanwhile, new data rules will make it easier for owners to find bays before their batteries run out of charge. Any operators who fail to follow the new guidelines will face fines of between £10,000 and £250,000.
The Public Charge Point Regulations have been put into place after the outcome of a public consultation on infrastructure concerns.
Express.co.uk spoke to Adam Hall, Director of Energy Services at Drax Energy who talked us through what the updates will mean for owners.
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A reliable charging network
According to the new rules, all charging bay operators must show their devices have a reliability average of nearly 100 percent. Failure to do this will result in operators being hit with heavy fees meaning there is added incentive to maintain a strong network across the UK.
Hall explained: “The government is committed to improving reliability with a 99 percent reliable charging network across all rapid charge points including the strategic road network. There’s also a requirement for a free 24/7 drivers’ helpline to be provided at all charge points.”
Easier payment
The option to pay contactless will be added to all new charging stations of 8kW and above within one year. Meanwhile, payment roaming will also be fitted to all public charge points within two years.
This will allow drivers to recharge at any station and pay using a smartphone app which can even be linked to a company credit card.
Hall added: “This means drivers will no longer have to fill their smartphones with an app for almost every charging network. They can simply pay for their charge in the same way as they’d pay for anything else.”
Using a single payment metric
To help drivers get to grips with the costs of charging an EV, a consistent pricing metric will be used across the whole network. The Government has decided that prices will be issued in pence per kilowatt hour of charge.
Hall commented: “From a driver’s point of view, this’ll make it easier to compare pricing at different charge points and achieve the best value for money.
“If it’s a company car, it’ll also make it easier to reclaim expenses as it will be clear exactly what has been paid for.”
Location data
All chargers will be forced to provide real-time data on their status making it easier than ever before for drivers to locate plugs. The data will also ensure owners can check if a station is in good working order before they attempt to top up.
Hall said: “This’ll combat any range anxiety or issues of drivers having to go out of their way to find a functioning charge point when they need to recharge.”