21st June 2017
Charge points for electric vehicles outlined in Queen’s speech
Charge points for electric vehicles outlined in Queen’s speech.
InstaVolt has welcomed today’s announcement that charge points for electric vehicles at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers will be required under the new laws.
The firm, which installs and maintains rapid charging points, says forecourts have long held the key to unlocking a better charging infrastructure.
CEO Tim Payne said: “We fully support any initiative that will lead to an increase in electric vehicle chargers at motorway services and petrol stations. With their accessibility and strategic locations along busy routes, they’ve long held the potential to be at the forefront of electric vehicle charging.
“Considering a large percentage of the population is unable to charge EVs at home, it’s never been more important to create an easily accessible public charging infrastructure. Today’s news will go some way to doing that and ultimately help encourage greater take-up of electric vehicles.”
Currently around 30 per cent of UK households don’t have access to off-street parking. InstaVolt says that means there are more than eight million potential buyers are unlikely to buy an electric vehicle unless it’s easier to charge in public places.
The company, which signed a multi-million pound deal with ChargePoint in May, is installing 3,000 rapid chargers at petrol forecourts, supermarkets and other accessible locations across the UK. The Rapid Plus charging units can add hundreds of miles of range in just 20 minutes and, unlike many other charging points, they will be free to use on a pay-as-you-go basis, with no subscription and no membership card.
Tim says: “If we can improve access to rapid charging in public, people will be much more confident in buying and driving electric vehicles. Forecourt traders play an even bigger role than I think any of us have given them credit for in this bid to increase use of electric vehicles. It’s therefore very positive news that the Government is bringing in measures to introduce more charging points there.”
Today’s Queen’s speech unveiled measures in a bill on automated and electric vehicles. As part of the new laws, charge points for electric vehicles at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers will be required. The bill will also require a set of common technical and operational standards for the technology.
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