Electric car drivers will only need one app to pay for public chargepoints operated by different companies, under legislation laid in Parliament. Motorists are currently forced to use multiple smartphone apps or membership cards to access different charging networks.
Mandating so-called payment roaming is among new Department for Transport (DfT) regulations aimed at encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles by making it easier, cheaper and more convenient to charge them across the UK. Operators will be required to accept contactless payments at newly installed chargepoints at eight kilowatts and above, and at existing rapid chargepoints.
A standardised pence per kilowatt hour price will be mandated to enable drivers to compare the cost of using different networks. Rapid chargepoint networks will be required to function for 99% of the time during a calendar year, and a new helpline will be launched to support motorists when something goes wrong with electric vehicle charging. Chargepoint data will also be opened up to make it easier for drivers to check their availability.
