Electric car owners are being urged to be aware of new rules that are coming into place this week that affect charging points.
From this Thursday (June 30) all electric vehicle (EV) chargers sold for private use – workplace or home – must be pre-configured with “smart” behaviour.
For example, new EV charge points will be set-up to avoid automatically charging during peak hours when demand for energy is higher.
Instead, drivers will be encouraged to set their charge point to switch on during off-peak times when there is more renewable energy available in the grid, reports Belfast Live.
EV motorists can choose not to accept the factory pre-sets and override these settings, so they can in theory still charge up during peak-times.
They can also set their own charging schedules to take advantage of cheaper overnight tariffs.
All new charge points must have a data connection as part of the new rules, and they must have the ability to measure, record and transmit usage, both in minutes and as units of energy.
The connection must also be able to delay charging or slow it down during periods of high grid demand.
Charge point manufacturers will also have to provide a user interface for drivers, such as an app.
The Government is regulating EV charge points sold in England, Wales and Ireland to manage the increase in demand for electric motors.
There were twice as many plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on our roads in June 2021 compared to the end of 2019.
The new rules that come into force this week are part of the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021.
The Department for Transport launched a consultation in 2019 to assess potential solutions as their first step to addressing any potential issues with grid power supply.
The results helped inform an Impact Assessment in July 2021, which suggested that smarter, regulated charging could provide a range of benefits, including:
Deferring costly grid upgrades, which would be needed to increase peak capacity
Helping drivers utilise cheaper overnight energy tariffs
Standardising the chargepoint functionality between different manufacturers
The changes for EV charging points come after grants for new electric cars were scrapped.
Drivers could previously claim up to £1,500 towards the cost of a plug-in car costing below £32,000.
The automotive industry and motoring groups criticised the decision.
The AA warned that many motorists being forced to wait for a new electric car due to global supply constraints will lose out.
The DfT said the "success" of the Plug-in Car Grant means the Government will now "refocus" the funding.
The Government now wants to encourage users of vehicles like taxis and vans to make the switch to electric.
