On 30 June new regulations came into force across the UK requiring that all electric vehicle (EV) charge points newly installed in private homes must have smart functionality to help manage demand on the grid.
The UK-designed and -manufactured EVIOS One, launched in April, is one of the only EV home chargers that is already fully compliant with the new regulations, featuring a charging schedule and randomised delay function as standard.
The new smart charge regulations stipulate that all EV home charge units must, by default, be set to charge outside the ‘peak’ hours of 8.00am to 11.00am and 4.00pm to 10.00pm on weekdays.
The second part of the regulation states that each charging session must have a randomised delay of up to 10 minutes before starting to charge. The legislation also requires that customers should be able to override these settings at any point, and with the EVIOS One, this is easy to do via the large colour screen or the app.
Very few of the home EV charge points on sale today currently comply with these new regulations, especially when it comes to the user-friendly override feature. Of those that do comply, the EVIOS One unit makes it easiest for users to manage their charge preferences.
The EVIOS One was designed from the outset with the new regulations in mind, making it one of the most future-proof units available in the home charging market.
New consumer research highlights challenges to EV uptake
During development of the EVIOS One, the company conducted in-depth research to ensure the unit’s functionality meets the needs of current and potential EV drivers. EVIOS’s research analysed the opinions of 1,000 non-EV drivers across the UK to determine what factors might influence them to make the switch to electrified mobility.
70% responded that they might be less likely to buy an EV due to uncertainty about the cost of installing a charge point at home; a situation that might have been exacerbated by the recent removal of the government grant for charge point installations. The EVIOS One is available with a monthly payment plan, and EVIOS is also pushing for the government to cut VAT on home charge points to be consistent with the zero-rated VAT on Energy Saving Materials such as solar panels.
The EVIOS research also revealed that 57% could be deterred from buying an EV because of a belief that it might be too expensive to charge. However, EVIOS analysis indicates that charging an EV at home can be up to four times cheaper* than charging using high-speed chargers on the motorway.
“People need to start thinking of charging an EV like charging a phone”, David Martell, CEO of EVIOS comments. “Generally, we charge our phones overnight when we are at home, and the same should be true of EVs, taking full advantage of lower off-peak energy tariffs.”
The EVIOS survey also uncovered that over half (54%) of people might be less likely to buy an EV because of concerns that they won’t be able to monitor the cost of charging at home easily.
The EVIOS One integrates with the user’s energy tariff (or solar power if available) and can charge in one of three ways depending on need. ‘Pure Speed’ will charge as quickly as possible; ‘Pure Green’ will charge using renewable energy from the grid or solar power at the home; and ‘Pure Value’ will make use of off-peak tariffs to only charge when electricity is at its cheapest.
Customers can monitor their costs at every step of the way via the unit, app or Alexa / Google Home and, at the end of a charge, simple infographics summarise charge data in terms of kWh, mileage added and simple pounds and pence.
Martell adds: “There is clearly still a great deal of work to be done to inform consumers about the affordability and flexibility of charging an EV at home. Most people understand the environmental benefits of an EV but don’t understand the practicalities of owning and charging. The whole industry – from carmakers to government and dealers – need to help shift perceptions.”
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