The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) is seeking views on ways to improve electric vehicle drivers’ consumer experience at public chargepoints.
This consultation covers all publicly available chargepoints in the UK, including those in the devolved nations, featuring proposals that seek to ensure the growth of electric vehicles can take place at the pace required to hit the government’s climate targets.
OZEV wants to introduce regulations that improve the consumer experience in four areas:
- Making public charging easier to pay: Consumers should have a comparably simple payment experience at all chargepoints, and should be able to have a payment option that enables them to pay without the use of a smartphone. Views are sought on the best way to achieve this in a way that meets consumer needs and is commercially viable.
- Opening up chargepoint data: OZEV proposes that government will set a data standard that chargepoint operators need to meet when making data from public chargepoints openly available and will mandate that ‘must-have’ data types, including location, power-rating and pricing data must be made available. OZEV will continue to work with the operators and wider industry to determine if live ‘availability’ data can be provided without impacting commercial interests.
- Using a single payment metric: Consumers should be able to understand and compare pricing offers across the UK network to select the best available price, as is currently the case for petrol and diesel vehicles. According to OZEV, standardisation to a pence-per-kilowatt hour (kWh) basis will enable a simpler pricing framework for all users, and providers would still be able to offer a range of bundled services tariffs.
- Ensuring a reliable network.
OZEV is also seeking evidence on three emerging policy areas:
- Accessibility for disabled consumers
- Weatherproofing and lighting
- Signage
This consultation closes at 11.45am on 10 April 2021.
More information about this consultation and how to take part is available on the government website.
