To make the transition to electric vehicle ownership easier, a group of Europe’s leading charging solutions providers have announced a roaming agreement that create an open network of public charge points for drivers.
The initiative between Allego, EVBox, NewMotion, Chargemap, ChargePoint, Charge4Europe, Engenie, Franklin Energy, and Travelcard will mean that EV drivers will need only one subscription to use them all. Currently, EV drivers have to use the corresponding public charging station that they have signed up to, causing confusing multiple accounts, which has been one of the criticisms from early adopters.
However, this new roaming agreement, which is expected to be in operation in the UK by the end of 2019, will hopefully ring the changes for charging infrastructure and making it easier to access charging points.
“As Chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles, I support this move – which will make it easier for drivers to charge up their electric vehicles, and therefore, make the purchase and maintenance of them more accessible to consumers and the wider public,” said Matt Western, MP.
“The climate emergency is a global issue – and cutting our emissions is a vital solution to this pressing problem. It is a positive step that companies in different countries are working together to create a better charging experience for everybody.”
The pledge from the companies involved represents a step towards a more coherent and consumer-friendly experience that will help promote EV uptake it is believed. In addition to accepting each other’s subscribers, the operators will share charging station information so data can be used to improve the charging experience for customers. This will make it easy for EV drivers to see where and if a charge point is available for charging and what a charging session will cost at the specific charge point.
“This agreement is a significant step in the expansion of access to public charging, improving the driver experience, and helping to make the switch to e-mobility more seamless for UK drivers. Roaming agreements not only allow us to expand our global footprint, it is also another example of how collaboration across the industry is key to a greener, more sustainable electric future,” said Christopher Burghardt, managing director, Europe at ChargePoint.
