Government plans smart EV charging
2 February 2023
We certainly need smart thinking in political circles at the moment.
The UK government and energy watchdog Ofgem have published plans to cut the cost and improve availability of facilities for electric vehicle (EV) charging.
The Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Action Plan sets out steps to make ‘smart charging’ the preferred method of long duration charging by 2025. Smart charging includes measures such as allowing motorists to charge vehicles when electricity is cheaper or cleaner, allowing consumers to power their home using electricity stored in their EV, or even to sell it back to the grid for profit.
The government has also announced £16 million funding from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) for smart charging technologies, including a smart street lamppost and projects that will enable domestic appliances, from heat pumps EV charge points and batteries, to integrate into a smarter energy system.
Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart said: “We want to make smart charging an easier choice for drivers of electric vehicles, whether that is charging on the driveway, at the workplace, or parked on the street. To do that we need to build new network infrastructure at pace, using the latest available technologies.”
As of July 2022, all new charge points sold for private use must have smart functionality.
