It's no secret that the electrification of the UK car market is in full swing. Since 2016 we've gone from just 0.4% of all new vehicle registrations being electric, to plug-ins taking a total market share of 23% in 2022. But one thing that certainly gets drivers charged up is having to keep on top of a deck of different RFID cards when out and about on the road using public chargers.
In fact, according to Shell, more than a quarter of European EV drivers have to use five or more charging cards! Now I can just about keep track of where my debit card is sometimes (usually being swiped by the Mrs of course…) but having to carry around 5–10 cards to keep the car charged is certainly not us heading in the right direction for the electrification of Britain’s car market.
What's the answer? Plug and Charge systems. Imagine being able to simply drive up to any charger you like, plug in and pay from within your car without having to fumble around your deck of RFID cards and 6 different apps. Bliss! Compatible chargers will be able to recognise the car from its charging cable and charge directly to the driver's account. Have a read of the linked article from Adam Woolway of Parkopedia which explains just how the current processes can be simplified into a one stop solution.
It seems that although EVs are being touted as the future, we still have a long road to travel to rival the convenience of traditional fuelling.
A large proportion of EV drivers are frustrated by the countless RFID cards and user-unfriendly smartphone apps often needed to access public EV charging. ‘Plug & Charge’ (ISO 15118) could soon change this, providing drivers with a simple, stress-free payment process and enabling them to quickly access public charging without needing to have numerous charging accounts.
Read the original article here