The Government has said all newly installed rapid and higher powered electric vehicle chargepoints should provide debit or credit card payment by spring 2020.
It is also working with industry to make chargepoint data freely available, helping drivers easily locate and access available chargepoints.
BP Chargemaster, the operator of the UK’s largest public charging network, has committed to introducing card payment on all new 50kW and 150kW chargers from today (15 July). It will also retrofit its existing UK-made rapid chargers with the technology over the next 12 months.
The news comes after Transport Network revealed that the Government was making slow progress on enacting powers under the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act to regulate for more charging points at petrol stations.
Today the Government said in a statement that 'if the market is too slow to deliver improvements across the entire network it is prepared to intervene' by using the legislative powers.
'The government has signalled it expects industry to develop a roaming solution across the charging network, allowing electric vehicle drivers to use any public chargepoint through a single payment method without needing multiple smartphone apps or membership cards,' it said.
Future of mobility minister, Michael Ellis, said: 'We know the variety of payment methods at the moment is a source of frustration for drivers.
'It is crucial there are easy payment methods available to improve electric vehicle drivers’ experiences and give drivers choice. This will help even more people enjoy the benefits electric vehicles bring and speed up our journey to a zero-emission future.'
The UK has seen the installation of more than 20,000 publicly accessible chargepoints including more than 2,000 rapid devices, making it one of the largest charging networks in Europe.
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