Aftermarket May 2022

MAY 2022 AFTERMARKET 11 www.aftermarketonline.net the strategy: “The government's £1.6 billion Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy proposals show a welcome commitment to EV uptake. We are especially pleased to see the government highlighting the need for resilience and reliability. To date, this has been a major issue. It's frustrating when motorists travel to public chargers only to find them not working. Trust in the infrastructure is essential for an effective transition to EVs. However, we do have reservations about some of the proposals, for example, insisting that all the current infrastructure uses contactless payments could be challenging and make the roll out slower and more expensive.” Community charging Community charging, where motorists with home chargers rent them to neighbours who do not have them, is also part of the plan. Richard commented: “At Co Charger we were delighted to see Community charging included in the Strategy. For the estimated 14 million motorists who can't have a car charger at home this can provide access to bookable, reliable, affordable charging and finally allow them to run an electric vehicle. Community charging means that rather than waiting for future private, national, and local government investment in charging infrastructure to be rolled out, communities can revolutionise the EV charging network now. “At Co Charger we have found that people are very willing to share their chargers, having come from zero to over 2,700 available charge points and 7,500 users in less than 15 months. There are around 30,000 public charge point devices in the UK, and 400,000 home chargers. If only one in ten of the latter were shared with neighbours, it would double the number of available chargers overnight. Not everyone can share their charge point, for example if they don't have somewhere to put their own car while someone else uses it. For those who can, it's a quick, cheap, self-scaling and universally beneficial solution that saves tax-payers’ money and shows the answer isn't just investing in more infrastructure, it's in better use of what we already have.” He added: “It's time for motorists and everyone working in sustainable transport to help bring about change and start creating a charge point sharing culture across the UK.” Investment and ambition Phil Shadbolt OBE, founder and CEO of electric vehicle charging brand EZ-Charge said while the new strategy is more than welcome, he believes that the move to make charge points more accessible is a real game changer: “The announcement of the new funding is one thing and is certainly very welcome, but it’s the introduction of the new legislation I’m most pleased about. For too long, many charge point operators have tried to force customers to use only their networks by making them pay a membership fee or download an app to charge. This is not only really inconvenient EV drivers, it’s really off-putting to those thinking about making the switch.” He added: “Forcing operators to do away with these kinds of outdated practices and make the UK’s charging infrastructure work for everybody will be a big step forward.” Critical Alex Kynoch, government sector lawyer at law firm Browne Jacobson agreed that the issue of access across networks is vital: “The ability to compare pricing is critical because funding models for charge point infrastructure often include exclusivity deals which can limit consumer choice and convenience. On- street residential charging for those without off-street parking is a huge challenge for this government. EVs are particularly well suited for cities, and it’s critical that residents, particularly delivery drivers and taxi drivers, can charge their vehicles overnight. However, while making funding available to boost these projects is welcome, it is only the first step in rolling out affordable and convenient solutions for consumers.” Alex concluded: “It will be interesting to see how the funding will be distributed and allocated. Innovative companies will want to look out and see if they can obtain funding to support their new solutions, and local authorities will need support to roll out charge point infrastructure at scale, whether through charging hubs or otherwise.” More to come As part of the announcement, the government also set forth what it described as an automotive roadmap that puts in place joint government and industry commitments to achieve the decarbonisation of road transport. More are set to follow for other sectors, as part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, which will show how the UK intends to fulfil its environmental pledges. EV infrastructure is one of those things that must be all or nothing if people are going to take the plunge ” ssociation ent A quipm ge E a e Gar Th 5 e 194 c ds sin dar y stan dustr s of In older e Uph d ! r ation c edit cr or his ac f gin our en y Ask eer a IS Y . Y ent A For peace of mind always use a Garage Equipm ssociation member. GEA accredited engineers work to an industry code of conduct our assurance their skills and knowledge have been independently assessed. OUR EQUIPMENT ENGINEER GEA ACCREDITED? Th www.gea.co.uk xpDat GEA ACCREDITED ENGINEER Name Company Discipline E e IDNumber XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456