Good news for electric car owners is around the corner as legislation laid in Parliament last week means motorists will now only need one app to pay for any public charge station instead of the dozens they may use today.
Convenience of electric cars has proven to be a growing and barrier preventing many from making the transition but this is a big hurdle that’s now overcome.
Quite why this wasn’t foreseen back when then Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, announced the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2017 will remain a mystery.
Electric car currently have to use multiple apps or memberships to access different charging networks but the DfT is now legislating ‘payment roaming’, which is one of the regulations aimed at encouraging more people to make the switch to electric.
The news comes as previously owned electric vehicles continue to be reduced in price meaning there are some truly great deals to be had. At the time of writing, a savvy shopper could pick up a low mileage VW I.D3 for under £20,000.
In other developments, operators will be required to accept contactless payments at new chargepoints at eight kilowatts and above and at all existing rapid chargepoints.
A standardised price will also be introduced to enable drivers to compare the cost of using different networks.
Rapid chargepoint networks will have to work for 99% of the time during a calendar year while a helpline will be set up to support motorists when something goes wrong with electric vehicle charging.
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, helping drivers find the right chargepoints for their needs, providing price transparency so that they can compare the cost of charging at different points, and updating payment methods so all new chargepoints have a contactless option.
“This will make the switch to electric easier than ever for motorists, help to grow the UK’s economy and drive net zero.”
