All home EV charge - points will need smart chargers in the UK

From 30th June 2022, all new private EV charge points (home and workplace) sold and installed in UK must comply with new regulations.

OVERVIEW

Electric vehicle charge points sold in UK for private (domestic or workplace) use are being regulated to help manage the increase in electricity demand from the transition to electric vehicles.

The regulations ensure charge points have smart functionality, allowing the charging of an electric vehicle when there is less demand on the grid, or when more renewable electricity is available. The regulations also ensure that charge points meet certain device-level requirements, enabling a minimum level of access, security and information for consumers.

What do the regulations require?

• Off-peak charging

New charge points will incorporate a pre-set default charging hours that are outside the peak hours (which are between 8am and 11am, and 4pm and 10pm on weekdays). This is a nice feature to help encourage all current and future EV owners to participate and support the new regulation.

This feature will not only allow the National Energy Grid to achieve a better supply balance, but will also allow drivers to benefit from less expensive energy rates, depending on their energy provider and plan.

As EV charging time varies according to each driver and their own lifestyle, the pre-implemented default settings can be overridden directly in the Autel Charge app. You still have control over your charging patterns!

• Delayed charging sessions

All smart chargers will feature a randomised delay function, so they don’t all start at exactly the same time at 10pm.

Chargers will smartly manage when they start their charging session randomly by 10 minute intervals.

Utility companies can extend this random start time to 30 minute increments if energy use is particularly high on a given day.

But again, while new smart chargers from 30 June will all have this feature as standard, EV owners can still decide to disable this feature.

If you know you have enough range left on your EV for your commute, you might be happy to stagger or delay when the charging session starts.

AUTEL is Ready

Autel MaxiChargers are compliant with these regulations.

The statement of compliance for Autel MaxiCharger can be downloaded from the link below.

File: evscp-regulations-2021-statement-of-compliance-Autel.pdf

Our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible and continue to support you and your customers with powerful, simple solutions.

Noted, the regulations do not apply to private charge points which are:

- sold in Northern Ireland and before 30 June 2022.

- not intended for use within Great Britain at any time.

- sold by individuals outside of the purposes of their trade, business, craft or profession (for example, second-hand sales made between private individuals) non-smart cables or rapid charge points.

- intended for use as public charge points (but these may be subject to the requirements of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017).