Electric vehicle owners have been promised easier access to charging points across the UK after a number of infrastructure providers signed a letter of intent, pledging to open their networks to all users by the end of the year.
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It will mean that electric vehicle drivers will require just one subscription to access public charging stations operated by the signatories. The letter of intent is said to represent a significant step forward for public charging in the UK, which lags behind other European countries in terms of interoperability agreements.
One of the signatories is charging station supplier ChargePoint. “This agreement is a significant step in the expansion of access to public charging, improving the driver experience, and helping to make the switch to e-mobility more seamless for UK drivers,” said the company’s European managing director Christopher Burghardt.
“Roaming agreements not only allow us to expand our global footprint, it is also another example of how collaboration across the industry is key to a greener, more sustainable electric future.”
Other signatories to the open access pledge are Allego, EVBox, NewMotion, Chargemap, Charge4Europe, Engenie, Franklin Energy and Travelcard.
Welcoming the news, the Renewable Energy Association’s policy manager Daniel Brown said: “Too many apps, cards and membership accounts are in our view hindering the net use of the public charging network. While these issues have been largely acknowledged and tackled in North America, there has been little progress in the UK to date. It’s clear that all that is changing with announcements such as this.”
(Photograph: Gutekesk7 – Shutterstock)
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