A Guide to the latest Electric Vehicle Legislation
With changes to government legislation surrounding EV charging grants in April 2022 – and further regulations coming into effect last month; it’s imperative that chargepoint installers, manufacturers and EV users alike, stay informed about these changes. Whether it’s to ensure user-safety, effectively manage electrical demand – or anything in-between; these regulations are brought into action for a reason. As such, here’s everything you need to know about the latest piece of electric vehicle legislation.
What this Electric Vehicle Legislation covers:
Underpinned by the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 legislation; new directives were signed into law on 15 December 2021 – before subsequently coming into full-force on 30 June. They mandate that electric vehicle chargepoints sold in the UK be regulated to manage the increase in electrical demand associated with their use.
To do this, the new regulations also require that chargepoints have smart functionality – and be able to respond to periods of high demand by delaying or slowing a charging session. Aside from this, it also ensures that charging points enable a minimum level of access for consumers; keep their data secure and protect them from cyber-attacks. New electric vehicle legislation covers both EV chargepoints and smart cables sold for private use in the UK.
Why this Electric Vehicle Legislation is needed:
The UK’s EV population has been growing at record pace – and the demand doesn’t seem likely to slow down at any point soon. With this surge in uptake, there were now twice as many plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on UK roads in June 2021 – compared to the end of 2019. As such, the Government is introducing these legislative measures to ensure the nation’s electrical grid can keep up with rising demands.
Grid capacity isn’t as big of a problem as many people would think however – at least according to statistics from the National Grid Group. Their research highlights that energy-efficient appliances – and additional power from solar panels, reduced peak demand by 16% between 2002 and 2020. With only a 10% increase in electrical demand projected should every UK driver switch to EVs; there’s more than enough headroom for the grid to cope so long as it is managed.
These new regulations ensure this is done, and – aside from encouraging users to charge vehicles in a smarter way; they also provide additional benefits. Managing demand allows for chargepoint functionality to be standardised between manufacturers; defers expensive upgrades to the national grid and reduces the need for fleets to carry out costly network connection upgrades.
What this Electric Vehicle Legislation covers:
The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 sets out minimum standards for all home and workplace chargepoints sold in the UK. Previously, legislation only applied to systems funded through OZEV approved grant schemes. Now – however, all units sold for private use must meet regulation – regardless of how they’re funded. In order to meet this legislation – these are some of the most important requirements for EV charging installers and manufacturers to follow.
Smart Functionality:
All new, personal-use EV chargepoints must have a data connection, with the ability to measure, send and receive information. New regulations mandate a heightened control over energy flow and charging times; and – as such, chargepoints must be able to delay or slow charging, during periods of high grid-demand.
Chargepoint manufacturers will also be required to provide a user-interface for EV drivers – such as an application; that allows them to set and adjust charging parameters. This regulation applies to all new chargepoint; including those installed through OZEV approved grants.
Off-Peak Charging:
Under these regulations, new chargepoints must incorporate pre-configured, off-peak charging hours as default. With a desire to lighten the load on the electrical grid; new chargepoints should be set to avoid charging from 8-11am and 4-10pm on weekdays.
It’s important to note – however, peak-time charging is not being banned through this new electric vehicle legislation. The owner will still be able to remove, change or adjust these settings from the very first use of their chargepoint. As such, the mandated default settings can be seen as more of a nudge to encourage smarter charging behaviour.
Resistant to Change:
The regulations also mandate that new, personal-use EV chargepoints should be manufactured to ensure there is interoperability between electrical suppliers. Users will not be limited to charging points only working for specific providers; rather – it will retain smart functionality even if the owner switches to a new one. Amid the current cost of living crisis – and record-breaking rises in energy bills; this freedom to opt for the best-valued tariff without restriction is essential.
What’s more – in spite of the requirement for chargepoints to make use of smart features; they must also be able to continue operation when their connection is interrupted. Indeed, users will be able to continue charging their electric vehicle even if they experience technical issues with their communications network or their WiFi goes down intermittently.
Safety and Cyber-Security:
Recent electric vehicle legislation also brings a new focus on security and privacy requirements – though these won’t come into effect until 30 December 2022. It mandates that chargepoint security be consistent with existing cyber-security standards. As such, all data that is stored, sent and received must be encrypted and users notified in the event of a cyber-attack.
By default, information will be stored for up to 12 months – though legislation also requires that users must be able to delete personal data and change settings as they choose. It’s worth noting that new regulations also carry general safety provisions. This means the system should prevent users from carrying out any operations that could risk the health and safety of any individual.
Go Electric – Installers You Can Trust:
As a small, family firm – we make getting to understand our customers’ needs a priority here at Go Electric. We always strive to keep up-to-date with the latest government guidelines – so you can receive informed advice from people who truly care. We’ll also be with you every step of the way – to ensure you get the most out of your newly installed chargepoint.
If you need any advice on the latest electric vehicle legislation – get in touch with us today on 0303 100 4101, by email or by filling in the form on this page. We’re always delighted to help.
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