Expert warns new UK electric car charging laws do not solve all issues

GB News guests debate using electric cars in 2022

New driving law changes approved this week will not solve many of the big issues affecting motorists, according to a leading expert. 

Alok Dubey, Regional Director for Western Europe at Monta suggested that new electric car charging rules didn’t go far enough. 

Earlier this week, The Department for Transport announced owners would benefit from “easier and more reliable” public charging as a result of new tweaks. 

The new measures will ensure prices across charge points are transparent and easy to compare while any new bays must be fitted with contactless payment options.

Providers must also make their data accessible so drivers can easily find a free chargepoint while travelling. 

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A new 24/7 helpline will also be introduced to report any issues accessing charging on public roads. 

Mr Dubey has backed the new updates but admits there is a lot more that needs to be solved. 

He said: “Whilst it is welcome news that the new legislation should help to ensure that charge point prices are transparent, reliable and easy to compare – it does not address the issue of availability, nor the provision of multiple payment options, with many chargepoints only accepting one method of payment.

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“Identified in a recent YouGov survey we commissioned, the research revealed that almost 20 percent of respondents with EVs experienced issues with charge points not accepting their preferred payment method, and 45 percent of respondents without EVs cited a lack of charge points and infrastructure as the top reason why they didn’t own an EV.”

ZapMap data shows a massive divide in the number of charging stations across the country. 

London makes up almost 35 percent of all public devices in the country with a whopping 17,365 plugs. 

Meanwhile, more rural areas such as Wales, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands have just under 3,000 devices.

Mr Dubey added: “As much as the new legislation is welcome news, the momentum must continue and the UK charge point infrastructure, and its accessibility, must expand to help give the British public confidence that there will be a reliable charging network for them to use and that they can charge their EV where and when they need to, and that they will be able to pay using their preferred method!”

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