The Government suggested customers should be able to make a contactless payment, without having to download an app

The UK government wants to make charging an electric vehicle (EV) similar to fuelling a petrol or diesel car.

The Department for Transport (DfT) launched a consultation over the weekend, outlining measures to transform the charge point experience for EV drivers.

The Government suggested customers should be able to make a contactless payment, without having to download an app.

The consultation also reveals how the Government wants to improve charge point reliability by forcing operators to respond to faults quickly and provide a 24/7 helpline for drivers.

Moreover, it is proposing charge point operators should provide pricing information, along with location and power output data.

The Government says that this is essential for ensuring fair costs, driving competition, and increasing the confidence of existing as well as potential EV drivers.

These proposals will ensure that it’s as easy – or even easier – for drivers to charge their car as it is to refuel a petrol or diesel vehicle, said the Department for Transport (DfT).

The consultation is also seeking evidence on: accessibility for disabled consumers; weatherproofing and lighting; and signage.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: In simple terms, drivers want charge points to be as easy and simple to use as a fuel pump. They don’t want to have a multitude of apps or membership cards, but the ability to simply understand how much it will cost them and pay by card.

The Government believes opening up chargepoint data will enable the development of consumer-friendly apps and enhance consumer experience.

It will also reduce costs by encouraging competition and innovation, and support system planning across the transport and electricity sectors, it says.

The Association of Fleet Professionals, when ACFO, highlighted how ‘charge point anxiety’ could thwart the wider adoption of EVs.

The consultation says that consumers should be able to select the best available price across the UK, as is currently the case for petrol and diesel vehicles.

Standardisation to a pence-per-kilowatt hour (kWh) basis will enable a simpler pricing framework for all users, it adds. Providers would still be able to offer a range of bundled services tariffs.

It’s an approach which, it says, will ensure alignment with the energy sector and the price of electricity used across the network, helping consumers compare how much they are paying at home with how much they are paying when they use the public charging network.

The Government says it is also essential to maintain and repair the charge point network quickly to ensure at least 99% reliability across the charging infrastructure.

Daniel Brown, head of transport at the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), believes an open, reliable, and “simple-to-navigate” charging network is crucial to keep the confidence of drivers and fleets and take EVs into the mainstream.

We welcome Government setting baseline expectations and ‘guard rails’ for the industry to deliver on, he said.

The EV charging sector, however, is a complex blend of telecoms, electricity provision, payments, real estate, and hardware and we would caution against interventions that would stymie innovation that will benefit consumers and be the backbone of emerging British brands, Brown said.

The DfT said that the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) will continue next year and target people in rented and leasehold accommodation.

The consultation will run until April 10, 2021.