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An industry-standard figure to help buyers understand the overall efficiency of an electric vehicle (EV) has been launched by Electrifying.com.

The E-Rating algorithm considers several factors, including how well electrical power is converted into miles on the road, the speed at which the battery can be recharged and features such as heat pumps, intelligent brake energy recuperation and climate control preconditioning that all help to minimise power use.

The EV is scored from ‘A++’ down to ‘E’, with the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 considered the most efficient models available in the UK with maximum A++ ratings.

The Mercedes EQS, Citroen Ami and e-C4, and SEAT Mii are among 13 models to reach A+ ratings, with a further 14 performing well enough to achieve an A.

At the other end of the scale, the Mercedes EQV people carrier is the only vehicle to obtain an E. The Audi e-tron and Mercedes EQC luxury SUVs were rated D.

Looking at the miles per kWh alone, Electrifying.com calculated the cost difference to cover 10,000 miles between an ‘A++’ rated car (the BMW i4) and a car graded ‘E’ (Mercedes EQV) to be £580.

While the Mercedes and BMW are not competing in the same class, there are still big differences between electric cars which are direct rivals. For example, a Tesla Model Y (rated A+) will cost £176 less over 10,000 miles than a Volvo XC40 Recharge.

Besides the extra cost, owners will find themselves waiting for a charge much longer in the least efficient cars – partly because they use more energy to move, but also because they can take charge at a slower rate, says Electrifying.com.

A Vauxhall Mokka can take on power at twice the speed of a Mazda MX-30, for example, while the newest Hyundai and Kia models can add 60 miles of range in under five minutes.

Electrifying.com says that the E-Rating brings the car industry in line with other consumer sectors and has undergone stringent verification and testing by independent experts.

Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: “It amazes me that until now we haven’t had an effective efficiency standard for electric cars, as we do across other sectors, but we’ve looked to put this right.

“As electricity costs less than petrol or diesel, it is easy to dismiss the efficiency of electric cars and think it isn’t important. But the costs of a less efficient model can soon add up.

“Perhaps more importantly, an electric car that is more frugal will go further and spend less time charging, meaning greater convenience for consumers.

“At Electrifying.com we’ve made it our mission to help present consumers with genuinely useful jargon-free information so they can choose the best electric car for them. E-Rating will not only help consumers but also car brands who want to hone their vehicles.”

Vehicle models rating according to Electrifying.com’s E-Rating

Make & Model	Efficiency Rating
Tesla Model 3	A++
BMW i4	A++
Hyundai Ioniq	A+
Citroen e-C4	A+
Fiat 500e	A+
Hyundai Kona Electric	A+
Mercedes EQS	A+
Kia EV6	A+
Peugeot e208	A+
Seat Mii	A+
Tesla Model Y	A+
Vauxhall Corsa-e	A+
Citroen Ami	A+
Volkswagen ID.3	A+
Renault Twizy	A+
Hyundai IONIQ5	A+
Audi e-tron	D
Mercedes EQC	D
Mercedes EQV	E

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A hydrogen storage project near Glasgow has received £9.4m in government funding to help drive progress towards decarbonising the UK transport sector.

The investment will see the Whitelee green hydrogen project develop an electrolyser, a system which converts water into hydrogen gas to store energy.

It will be located alongside Scottish Power’s Whitelee Windfarm and will produce and store hydrogen to supply local transport providers with zero-carbon fuel.

Greg Hands, energy and climate change minister, said: “Projects like these will be vital as we shift to a green electricity grid, helping us get the full benefit from our world-class renewables, supporting the UK as we work to eliminate the UK’s contribution to climate change.”

Developed by ITM Power, who manufactureres integrated hydrogen energy solutions for grid balancing and BOC, in conjunction with Scottish Power’s Hydrogen division, the facility will be able to produce enough green hydrogen per day – 2.5 to 4 tonnes – that, once stored, could provide the equivalent of enough zero-carbon fuel for 225 buses travelling to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh, each day.

The announcement follows the COP26 climate summit held in Glasgow, on October 31 – November 13, 2021.

Barry Carruthers, Scottish Power hydrogen director, said: “This blend of renewable electricity generation and green hydrogen production promises to highlight the multiple ways in which society can decarbonise by using these technologies here and now.”

The funding under the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, will see the British Standards Institution (BSI) develop technical standards for hydrogen products, and a consortium comprising Energy and Utility Skills and the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers, will establish new standards and training specifications to facilitate the training of hydrogen gas installers.

Jim Mercer, business president, at BOC UK & Ireland, said: “The project will accelerate development across multiple disciplines – from production and storage, to transportation and end use.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

An outage on the Tesla app left some drivers unable to access their car, reports suggest.

Owners reported on social media seeing an error message on the mobile app that was preventing them from connecting to their vehicles.

The Tesla app is used as a key by drivers to unlock and start their cars and, while it is not the only way to access Tesla cars, many drivers rely solely upon it.

About 500 users reported an error on the app at around 9.40pm on Friday, according to the outage tracking site DownDetector. Five hours later, there were just over 60 reports of an error.

“I’m stuck an hour away from home because I normally use my phone to start car,” one owner tweeted.

The BBC reports that Tesla chief executive Elon Musk personally responded to one complaint from a driver in South Korea, saying on Twitter: “Checking.” Musk later said the app was coming back online.

“Apologies, we will take measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he tweeted.

Automotive expert Professor David Bailey from the Birmingham Business School, who drives a Tesla, experienced the outage on Friday.

“To some extent, Tesla is a bit of a victim of its own success,” he told the BBC. “It encourages its customers to use the cutting-edge technology it creates and sometimes that will go wrong.

“Although of course you can use a key to open the car too, the natural instinct of many Tesla drivers, who are buying one of the most high-tech models in the market, is to rely on the technology.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Developers will be required by law to install electric vehicle (EV) charge points in new homes, supermarkets and workplaces from next year.

The new legislation, which is being announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson today (Monday, November 22), will also apply to buildings undergoing major renovation.

The Government estimates that up to 145,000 extra charge points will be installed across England each year thanks to these regulations.

This, it says, builds on more than 250,000 home and workplace charge points the Government has already supported to date, with the aim of making it as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car today.

As well as new homes and non-residential buildings, those undergoing largescale renovations which leaves them with more than 10 parking spaces will be required to install EV charge points. It has not said how many charge points will be required.

It has also said that, following a consultation, it will ensure contactless payments at all new fast and rapid charge points. The idea of contactless payments was first mooted in 2019.

Furthermore, the Government has announced that following a successful pilot with businesses, Innovate UK will deliver a new three-year programme of £150 million in new Innovation loans to help British SMEs commercialise their latest R&D innovations.

While this is open to a variety of sectors, green businesses will be able to apply from early next year, many of whom have already been benefitting during the pilot as the UK transitions to net zero.

For example, Northern Ireland based Catagen’s development of catalytic converters has helped vehicle manufacturers to reduce emissions and NanoSun – a company based in Lancaster – is helping develop and manufacture hydrogen refuelling products for customers in the oil and gas and transport sectors.

Meryem Brassington, electrification propositions lead at Lex Autolease, said: “As momentum continues to shift away from petrol and diesel, investment in the UK’s charging infrastructure is mission-critical if we are to deliver on the ambitious Road to Zero targets.

“Today’s announcement is another strong signal of intent from policymakers to position the UK as a world leader in electrification.

“By ensuring the product supply and supporting charge network is in place, we can continue to help individual drivers and businesses accelerate their transition towards an electric future.”

Patrick Reich, co-founder of Bonnet an electric charging platform, says that the announcement shows a real commitment by the Government to make sure the country will be ready for the 2030 petrol and diesel vehicle ban.

However, he added: “While this announcement to accelerate the roll out of private charge points is good, it will only go so far.

“Around 40% of UK households don’t have a private driveway so rely on public charge points to be able to charge and drive. Improving the accessibility and availability of public charging provision – in urban areas particularly – is a priority if EVs are to become genuinely accessible, and the Government’s call for simpler payments is one we absolutely back.

“The strategic placement of charge points at popular locations such as supermarkets and workplaces will help improve reduce charging anxiety – which we identify as a key barrier, not ‘range anxiety’. Government and business need to collaborate and invest in improved infrastructure and technology to make sure consumers feel as comfortable as possible when making the switch.”

Charlie Jardine, CEO and founder of EO Charging, says that, with most cars on the road being commercial vehicles, it is pleased that the Government has announced that all newbuild buildings, including both residential and non-residential, will be mandated to include charging stations from next year.

“This announcement will help lead to a greater uptake of electric vehicles across the country and remove one of the few remaining barriers to owning or using EVs,” he continued.

“It is important that we build homes fit for the future, and that they have the infrastructure to support the way we want people to travel in future.”

Alfonso Martinez, managing director of LeasePlan UK, says that the news was long overdue. “Despite being one of the top three countries in Europe for EV readiness, the UK still lags behind in terms of charging infrastructure,” said Martinez.

“This hasn’t stopped the rapid rate of adoption – 20% of our vehicle orders now are for EVs compared to 1%  only a few years ago – but it has created a misconception amongst drivers that EVs are a niche product rather than the right choice for everyone.

“By making charging part of every new home, the Government is removing a major barrier stopping drivers from making the switch, while providing the incentive that the country urgently needs to deliver on its net zero goals.”

The announcement around mandatory charge points comes as fleets and company car drivers are set to benefit from competition on pricing for EV charging at motorway services after exclusive agreements were ruled out as part of Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation.

Gridserve, which acquired the Electric Highway from Ecotricity in June, has offered legally-binding assurances, known as commitments, to the CMA.

It says that it will not enforce exclusive rights in contracts with Extra, MOTO or Roadchef, after 2026, which currently cover around two-thirds of motorway service stations. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The decision to cut the plug-in car and van grant by up to £1,000 and change the eligibility criteria has been criticised by the fleet and leasing industry.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the reduction would make its “available funding go further” and help more businesses and consumers make the switch.

Announcing its Net Zero Strategy in October, the Government confirmed £620 million funding for zero emission vehicle grants and EV infrastructure, including funding for local EV infrastructure, with a focus on local on street residential charging.

The additional money for the plug-in grant, however, came after ministers said the grant would reduce as electric vehicle (EV) adoption rates increase.

It also warned that it was “unlikely” it will be able to give advance notice of cuts to the plug-in car and van grant after a reduction in the grant for the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) was announced without any notice in March.

The electric car grant was cut from £3,000 to £2,500 and models that cost more than £35,000 were excluded.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “Slashing the grants for electric vehicles once again is a blow to customers looking to make the switch and couldn’t come at a worse time, with inflation at a 10-year high and pandemic-related economic uncertainty looming large.

“Industry and Government ambition for decarbonised road transport is high, and manufacturers are delivering ever more products with ever better performance. But we need to move the market even faster – from one in a hundred cars on the road being electric, to potentially one in three in just eight years – which means we should be doubling down on incentives.

“Other global markets are already doing so whereas we are cutting, expecting the industry to subsidise the transition, and putting up prices for customers. UK drivers risk being left behind on the transition to zero-emission motoring.”

Richard Jones, managing director at Lex Autolease and Black Horse at Lloyds Banking Group, said that the industry understood policymakers will need to continuously review the grants available as the uptake in EVs continues to accelerate. 

However, he told Fleet News that the announcement to reduce the eligibility threshold from £35,000 to £32,000 for electric cars impacts around 60% of the vehicles available in the market, increasing rentals on new orders on a 36-month agreement by around £70 a month overnight.

He added: “We hope that Government departments and industry bodies continue to work together to maximise the opportunities to encourage EV uptake and reassure manufacturers that the UK is leading the EV charge.”

Jon Lawes, managing director of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, agreed. He said: “Last minute cuts are counter intuitive to achieving the ambitious targets set by Government to reduce carbon emissions and has the potential to dampen the strong demand for zero emission vehicles we’ve seen in recent months.”

Despite the growth of EV registrations, Lawes says the market remains in its “infancy” and total cost of ownership (TCO), especially across LCVs, can be “challenging” for fleet operators who need to adopt.

“The Government rationale to reducing eligibility at this juncture for the second time this year is confusing, as we know financial incentives to encourage EV adoption are an important factor within the vehicle renewal decision making process,” he said.

“In light of these changes, we are working closely with our customers to recalculate their TCO so they can readily factor this development within their decision making.”

Gerry Keaney, chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), said that financial incentives, such as the plug-in grant, had proven vital to fleets and consumers making the switch to an EV.

“Subsidies cannot run forever, but the fleet sector relies on certainty, reducing these grants will have a negative impact on this,” he said.

Electric car subscription service, Onto, also believes the changes risk slowing down electric car adoption rates, ultimately putting the climate change goals at risk.

Co-founder and CEO of Onto, Rob Jolly, said: “We heard at COP26 the government’s focus was on getting people into electric cars quickly, and yet this decision will only slow down the adoption of EVs.

“We know that range anxiety is the number one consumer concern and reducing the cap to £32,000 means customers have no choice but to buy smaller cars with smaller ranges.

“We understand that the money-pot is finite and the grant must be lowered £1,500 to make economical sense, however we strongly disagree with the reduction of the cap – in fact it should have stayed at £50,000 to give consumers choice and help them make the switch.”

Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK, says the cut is “extremely disappointing” and warned it could “derail” the progress.

She added: “Cutting the grant strongly disincentivises EV adoption across the UK. This, in turn, will exacerbate the unequal, regional EV uptake gap.

“While the market share of EVs is growing at an impressive rate, it is premature to reduce the levels of this support to the consumer and send the wrong message to the public, especially as other G7 nations continue to ramp up consumer support.”

Tanya Sinclair, policy director for UK and Ireland at ChargePoint, said: “We understand the Government’s broad programme of grants and incentives was always designed to stimulate the early EV market and, over a decade since their inception, the EV market continues to develop at pace.

“We look forward to the Government announcing a long-term, more sustainable successor to the grant schemes which can incentivise EV uptake, such as fiscal incentives and road pricing.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that there will be no congestion charge after 6pm from February 21.

Operating hours on weekends and bank holidays will also be reduced from 12pm to 6pm. The current charge level of £15, however, will be retained after it was raised from £11.50 during the pandemic.

Natalie Chapman, Logistics UK’s head of policy for the South, welcomed the announcement confirming the operational hours of the Congestion Charge will revert back to the original weekday timings.

“This will provide additional flexibility to retime deliveries to less congested times with the potential to reduce emissions, improve the safety of vulnerable road users and increase operational efficiency,” she said.

“However, Logistics UK is disappointed that the charges will apply on weekends and bank holidays, and that the £15 charge level will be retained, but the fleet autopay discount removed.

“This simply amounts to an additional tax for logistics businesses who currently have little alternative but to use lorries and vans to keep London stocked with all the goods the population needs.”

TfL launched a consultation on the congestion charge in July, after the hours of operation were extended in June 2020 when the Government had to bail out TfL after a financial crisis caused by the onset of the pandemic.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, defended the changes, saying they “strike a balance” between reducing traffic and congestion and supporting London’s economy and residents.

He explained: “The removal of the evening charge will support the capital’s culture, hospitality and night-time businesses which have struggled so much, as well as encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport.

“It’s vital we do not encourage a car-led recovery and replace one public health crisis with another due to filthy air.”

The Congestion Charge will also be suspended between Christmas and the first working day of the New Year.

Alex Williams, TfL’s director of city planning, said: “These changes are targeted at reducing traffic at the busiest times where we have seen a long-term trend in high levels of car travel.

“We expect to see growth in the number of people walking, cycling and using public transport in central London as a result.

“The removal of the charge in the evening will help shift workers who perform essential roles at the heart of the city and support London’s vibrant cultural and hospitality sectors who are still recovering from the pandemic.”

The Mayor’s target is for 80% of trips made in the capital in 2041 to be by walking, cycling or public transport, and the target for central London is 95% of trips to be made by these sustainable types of travel.

The new weekend charging hours are targeted at reducing congestion at the busiest times.

Weekend car and private hire traffic before the pandemic was higher than during the week and made up 70% of traffic in the charging zone on a Saturday and Sunday.

It is estimated there will be an increase in sustainable travel compared to before the pandemic, with around 8,000 new public transport trips and 3,000 walking and cycling trips each day on the weekend, says TfL.

Reimbursement arrangements will be retained to facilitate essential trips made by certain NHS patients, care home workers, local councils and charities during epidemics and pandemics. The expanded NHS staff reimbursement arrangement will also continue.

Other permanent changes being implemented include:

• The deadline will be extended for making a delayed payment to three days after the day of travel. The delayed payment charge is £17.50
• The Auto Pay and Fleet Auto Pay discount will be removed
• The ability for residents to pay by App or online for multiple consecutive charging days will be removed
• The majority of the changes will come into force on December 20, aside from the changes to hours of operation, which will take place on February 21.
• This is to allow for changes to operational systems and to alter the signs that inform drivers of when the charge is in operation.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

This is something I’ve been banging on about for years so I’m pleased that something is finally happening to get this introduced into the curriculum.

The TTC Group is calling on the Government to introduce road safety training on to the National School Curriculum for Road Safety Week 2021.

TTC Group believes it would prove beneficial for the safety of all, and are calling for road safety awareness to be taught in schools.

With 4,140 reported road casualties aged 0-16, and a further 7,630 casualties aged between 17-24, in 2020, there is a clear case for road safety to be added to the national curriculum if even a small percentage of these 11,770 casualties could be avoided.

Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, said: “Younger drivers have a much higher chance of being in a crash due to over-confidence, inexperience and the fact they are more likely to take risks while on the road.

“Improved education for children and young people is vital, which is why we’re working with schools and colleges up and down the country this Road Safety Week to raise the profile of safe journeys.”

TTC has delivered an annual training programme to schools in the private sector across the UK, with teacher-led road safety classes for students as young as 15.

The interactive workshops are arranged to encourage students to engage with teachers, ask questions and gain valuable knowledge on a valuable future life skill.

The course is then delivered as a refresher to year 12 students as they approach their 17th birthdays and are therefore likely to experience driving for the first time.

In a similar fashion to other subjects like design and technology, TTC believes teaching road safety to students nationwide would provide the next generation of road users a potentially life-saving set of practical skills before leaving school, leaving them better prepared for when they start learning how to drive.

Andy Wheeler, head of technical delivery for TTC, said: “Too many young drivers are involved in crashes when they first pass their tests.

“By introducing this content into the National Curriculum, the Government can give students the opportunity to regularly learn about road safety and be better prepared for when they become drivers.”

Part of the course TTC deliver discusses the ‘Fatal 4’; excess speed, mobile phone use, drink driving and lack of seatbelt use. By providing knowledge on these areas and the risks associated with driving, pupils will be far better prepared for life on the road as drivers and passengers.

Young drivers are sadly over-represented in collision stats; one in five crash within their first year of driving and more than 1,500 are killed or seriously injured each year.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

McCarron Coates is warning drivers that the world of insurance claims is evolving, with the cost of vehicle repairs now outweighing those of personal injury claims for the first time in many years.

The shift in balance between the two main components that make up the total claim value is not down to any changes in legislation, such as the 2021 Whiplash Reforms, but due to the soaring cost of vehicle parts and repairs, says the fleet insurance specialist.

The costs, it explains, are partly driven by difficulties in obtaining parts post-Brexit, while repairs costs also have an element of inflation within them due to overall labour shortages.

However, for the most part, McCarron Coates says it is because there are few simple repairs now, with so many different and interlinked electronic components within vehicles that any reasonably significant prang is likely to see many parts of a vehicle needing to be replaced.

The issue is exacerbated when the vehicle is an electric vehicle (EV).  The battery is a hugely expensive part of an EV and any damage to it is likely to result in a large repair bill or even a quick total write-off, it says.

The cost of an EV claim is also influenced by repair delays, with an EV repair taking significantly longer to complete than one on a vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE).

Sometimes, an EV has to be sent to a specialist repair centre, meaning the time off the road – and time during which an expensive hired vehicle might be required – is even longer.

McCarron Coates believes some insurers have not yet been able to accumulate enough knowledge with which to calculate the right level of insurance premium for the EV risk and so are levying extremely high compulsory excesses, of a level of around £1500, rather than the £500 we might expect to traditionally see on a fleet policy.

“The cost of vehicle repairs is driving up overall claims costs and that is not good news for any fleet operator, as it will translate into higher premiums in the months to come,” said Ian McCarron, director at McCarron Coates.

“Operators need to make sure their fleet bucks the trend, by enhancing their risk management, addressing the reasons for accidents and trying to keep their vehicles out of the repair shop.

“That, in turn, will increase operational efficiencies within the business and reduce the amount of time that the business has to give to claims handling.”

The insurance broker’s advice to fleet transport operators is to do all they can to manage their risks on the road better, seeking to avoid the accidents that could land their vehicles in the repair cycle, for some time.

The focus should be on enhanced driver training, an analysis of individual drivers’ weak points, so that these can be addressed, and on the use of telematics, to help increase driver awareness of the hazards around, it says.

McCarron concluded: “It is essential that fleet operators act now, instilling a better driving culture and the principle of trying to keep the vehicle, its driver and all other third parties safe, at all costs.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The upward march of fuel prices is continuing to cause misery for UK drivers. Following the recent announcement that the cost of petrol hit a record high, the cost of diesel has followed and it’s now become the most expensive it’s ever been.

The average price of diesel is 147.9p per litre and is now 30p more than it cost in January 2021. Petrol has also broken previous records, and now stands at 144.4p per litre. These record highs have not been caused by recent fuel shortages, but through the rising costs of crude oil. They hit the average driver hard – the cost to fill up your family car with 55 litres of diesel now comes in at £81.

The effects of this will affect business and logistics hard, with goods and services bearing the costs of more expensive diesel, as most vans in the UK are fuelled from the black pump.

The price of crude oil is $86.09 (£62.96) a barrel, and is closing in on record highs of more than $120 (£87.76) in 2012. The upshot is that if crude oil rises to those levels, they will be reflected in even higher prices, causing more pain for drivers who are already seeing their budgets stretched.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘This is truly a dark day for drivers, and one which we hoped we wouldn’t see again after the high prices of April 2012. This will hurt many household budgets and no doubt have knock-on implications for the wider economy.’

He continued: ‘Even though many people aren’t driving quite as much as they have in the past due to the pandemic, drivers tell us they are more reliant on their cars now than they have been in years, and many simply don’t have a choice but to drive. There’s a risk those on lower incomes who have to drive to work will seriously struggle to find the extra money for the petrol they so badly need.’

What this means for you

The last time we had high fuel prices like this, government or market intervention resulted in them dropping sharply after sustained growth. However in this case, the situation is unlikely to improve soon, as the cost of crude oil is set to continue going up until at least the end of 2021.

In the UK, government-levied taxes make up 57% of the average retail price for a litre of petrol, according to the RAC, and the prospect of the government dropping fuel duty looks remote.

What this means for you is that you’re going to be facing increased fuel bills in the short-to-medium term. Driving more economically will alleviate the pain somewhat, or if you’re looking to change your car, look more closely at the fuel consumption figures – or even consider switching to an electric car, which are cheaper for running costs in terms of Miles Per Pound. By Graham Hill thanks to Parkers

In my new book about electric vehicles I explain that the Government doesn’t need to invest in charger infrastructure with the exception of rural areas where local councils may need some help. It seems that the Government had this on their radar and have made the following announcement.

Innovate UK has awarded £335,000 to Bonnet, EDF, DG Cities and Devon County Council to help improve the charging of electric vehicles (EVs) in rural locations.

With backing from the Government, the Rural Electric Mobility Enabler (REME) project – a group of private and public organisations – has embarked on an eight-month project to provide solutions to improve public charging provision in rural regions.

The partners are using technology, data and grid expertise to understand the challenges of access to EV chargers and the associated energy supply from the grid, which will be caused by increased EV usage.

The project focuses on Devon, using the council’s data to understand seasonal flows of people to the area and how this will impact future public charging demand.

DG Cities and EDF use field dynamic code mapping and data from the National Grid to work out where in regional areas it would be necessary – but difficult – to implement public EV charge points.

Bonnet, an EV charging platform, is using its consumer-facing app to offer drivers access to private charge points in rural areas, when demand is high.

It creates financial opportunities for domestic charge point owners and increases the volume of reliable options for EV owners – all shown through the Bonnet app, which also handles payments, says Innovate UK.

Patrick Reich, co-founder of Bonnet, explained: “Electric charging provision is lacking in rural regions across the country, and we’re honoured to be collaborating with these partners to find solutions to these issues.

“Our payment and charge point information app can provide access to private charge points for public use across the UK and we already have thousands of public charge points on board. Innovative solutions need to be developed to combat drivers’ EV charging anxiety, especially in tourist hotspot regions across the country.

“This exciting project will be a step towards future proofing the electrification of the UK’s roads and we hope to encourage further change.”

Following the trial period (ending March 2022), the partners hope to propose the new business model to other rural councils in the UK.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News