Bill to standardise electric vehicle charging welcomed by the AA

The Electric Vehicles (Standardised Recharging) Bill aims to make provision for standardised payment for charging and vehicle connectors. 

In the parliamentary motion from Bill Wiggin MP to introduce the Bill, he pointed out that there is a range of methods for starting and paying for a vehicle charge at public charging points, while chargers have a variety of different connectors that are not all compatible with all cars.

Edmund King, AA President said: “While it may make sense to have a single connection system the majority of charging stations across the UK and Europe have connectors to fit most cars.

“However how to pay for a charge at different charging stations can be baffling. Many charging networks require their own Apps or RFID cards which are necessary to start a charge. 

“Some of these require a subscription; others require pre-loading with funds while some make a separate ‘connection charge’ as well as payment for the energy purchased.

“A few charging networks accept a contactless debit or credit card as well as a network RDID card and surely this is by far the simplest method. 

“There is nothing more frustrating than arriving at a charger for which you don’t have the appropriate app and then spending time finding, installing, registering and perhaps loading with funds before you can plug in and charge – assuming your smartphone is itself charged and has a signal. 

“Meanwhile the operator has retained your deposit and you may never use that charging network again.”

King points out that there is already the facility to create uniformity through the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 which enables regulations to be introduced on operators of public charging points to provide the means by which all vehicles can connect to such points and this Bill will enable that to happen.

“Across Europe there are hundreds of individual network operators which can present a challenge to anyone taking a grand European tour in an EV,” continued King. “But there are aggregated charging systems which simplify charging where just a single card, albeit available from a choice of different providers, gives access to thousands of public chargers.

“The apparent complexity of charging methods can be a disincentive to prospective EV buyers and, by simplifying charging methods, this Bill could remove a barrier to adoption.

“Drivers simply want to fill their car’s battery with energy as simply as filling a conventional car’s tank with petrol and pay for what they take.”