It is anticipated that the new legislation will encourage consumer confidence in electric vehicles (EVs) by ensuring public charge points are compatible with all vehicles, standardising how they are paid for and setting reliability standards.

 

“In addition to the recently released Road to Zero Strategy, this legislation gives an important and timely boost to the development of a world leading EV charging network in the UK,” commented Daniel Brown, EV lead, Renewable Energy Association .

 

Andy Eastlake, MD, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership said: “This is great news for the EV sector, giving Government the powers needed to really accelerate the infrastructure provision and its capabilities to maximise the wide ranging benefits available through electric vehicle adoption in the mass market.”

 

He added: “This primary Act and the detailed secondary legislation now under development must be supported by policies and grants, information campaigns and industry backing, to provide a comprehensive and collaborative partnership approach to the EV market opportunities.”

 

Robert Evans, CE of Cenex said: “While the Road to Zero Strategy is mostly about carrots the Government is offering the market to transition to electric, the Automated & Electric Vehicles Act demonstrates the Government’s willingness to make use of a regulatory stick, if it feels this is required.

 

“The Act is in effect an insurance policy whereby the Government has signalled that it will take powers, if it feels it needs to, to regulate the market for EV infrastructure. If the market delivers in the areas outlined in the Act, secondary legislation would not be needed.”

 

The Act modernises insurance rules to account for automated vehicles, so that motorists can still be covered when they have handed control over to the vehicle.

 

A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers welcomed the new Act and said insurance firms have been very supportive of the development of automated vehicles.

 

“If we get this technology right it can lead to significantly safer roads, and insurers want to be playing their part in that development,” he said.

 

“Automated vehicles are not a common sight yet but as the technology develops, the insurance industry will be looking at developing innovative products around this that are fit for the new world we are about to enter.”

 

Roads Minister Jesse Norman said: “This Act will ensure that the UK’s infrastructure and insurance system are ready for the biggest transport revolution in a century,” adding that it marks a significant step towards improving air quality, cutting congestion and boosting road safety.

 

♦ Energy regulator Ofgem has set out proposals for a more ‘flexible’ system of charging electric vehicles that could allow at least 60% more cars to be powered from the existing grid.

 

The regulator is consulting on its proposed reforms, which would see owners only topping up their EVs with charge outside peak demand times on the grid – when energy prices are cheapest.

 

Flexible charging, it says, would help to support millions of new electric vehicles forecast on Britain’s roads in the coming decades while keeping costs down for users.