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REA welcomes Policy Exchange EV Charging report and its
key recommendations around local authorities, maintenance, and
interoperability
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Government also confirm that the Onstreet Residential
Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) will be extended for another
year
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REA comments on both announcements
The REA have welcomed the publication of the Policy Exchange’s EV
Charging Report.
The report, released today, makes a series of policy
recommendations which the Government must undertake to help
rapidly expand the UK’s chargepoint network, minimise the total
cost of installation and maintenance, and finding new and
innovative solutions.
Key points include:
• During the 2020s, the UK needs to deploy chargers five times
faster than today, to meet the 2030 phase-out.
• In underserved areas, government should procure chargepoint
through competitive tenders. These tenders should offer long-term
contracts to chargepoint operators.
• These contracts be structured as a minimum revenue guarantee,
but also a price cap to avoid local monopolistic behaviours and
requirements on interoperability and reliability.
• There should also be a process of tendering for high-powered
chargepoints and associated ‘strategic grid connections’ at key
locations like motorway service areas.
• Government should fund EV ‘Chargepoint Teams’ in local
authorities to facilitate the rollout of chargepoints, including
identifying blackspots.
Simultaneously, the UK’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has
confirmed that the Onstreet Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS)
has been extended until 2021/22.
Daniel Brown, Head of Transport at the Association for
Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), said:
“Policy Exchange’s report is an important addition to the
debate around the future of the UK’s electric vehicle charging
infrastructure. Roaming, maintenance, and data sharing are all
key priorities for the industry and our members are working hard
to build out a well maintained and interoperable charging
network.
“We are particularly supportive of the proposals to provide
local authorities more support so that they fully design
decarbonisation strategies and deliver comprehensive
tenders.”
The Policy Exchange’s report ‘Charging Up’ can be found here:
https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/charging-up/
On the extension to the Onstreet Residential Chargepoint
Scheme, Daniel Brown commented:
“Today’s confirmation that this important scheme will be
extended is a welcome relief for charge point developers who, as
of yesterday, saw a cliff edge where support for this part of the
market was due to abruptly wind up this spring.
“Further central government support for local authorities to
be deploying charging infrastructure is urgently needed and the
charging sector is now keenly awaiting details about how the new
£90m Local Authority Fund, confirmed in the Spending Review, will
be structured and deployed. Central Government should also be
standardising local authority procurement processes for EV
chargers to ensure a level playing field, which will be made more
straightforward with the forthcoming framework from the Crown
Commercial Service.”
The Government’s confirmation of the scheme’s extension can be
found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-powers-up-electric-vehicle-revolution-with-20-million-chargepoints-boost
