The tech entrepreneur behind one of Britain’s fastest-growing electric vehicle charging brands – EZ-Charge – has praised today’s announcement by the government of the new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.
Phil Shadbolt OBE said the new strategy, which will be backed by £1.6 billion of funding, could prove to be a pivotal moment in the mass adoption of electric vehicles in the UK.
The strategy aims to achieve tenfold growth in the UK’s public charging infrastructure by 2030 and will also introduce legislation to make charge points more reliable, accessible and user-friendly.
And Shadbolt, whose Oxfordshire-based company specialises in working with local authorities to expand and deliver electric vehicle charging infrastructure in their own regions, is thrilled with the new proposals.
He said: “Those of us in EV circles have always been very quick to criticise the government when they’ve got things wrong in the past or when they’ve been too slow to act or too lacking in ambition. So, it’s only fair that we give praise when it’s due.
“Today’s announcement of the new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy delivers the right level of investment and ambition at exactly the right time.
“This will make a massive difference and will really help the UK become global leaders in electric vehicle adoption.”
Shadbolt added: “The announcement of the new funding is one thing and is certainly very welcome. But it’s the introduction of the new legislation I’m most pleased about.
“For too long many charge point operators have tried to force customers to use only their networks by making them pay a membership fee or download an app to charge. This is not only really inconvenient for electric car drivers, it’s really off-putting to those thinking about making the switch.
“Forcing operators to do away with these kinds of outdated practices and make the UK’s charging infrastructure work for everybody will be a big step forward.”
EZ-Charge is an innovative start-up Charge Point Operator, specifically targeting strategically selected off-street charging hubs in the heart of communities where people work, live, and play. We’re giving members of the public who don’t have access to off-street parking the opportunity to drive electric.
One of the company’s biggest projects is leading the creation of Oxfordshire Park and Charge – a network of 250 EZ-Charge charge points being installed in council run car parks across the county. The project is being delivered in partnership with four local authorities.
EZ-Charge was chosen for the project in part for its forward-thing approach to the issues the government is today trying to address with new legislation. All EZ-Charge charging points can be activated by any driver simply with the tap of a contactless bank card or mobile phone.
Additionally, the company’s market-leading hardware and software, which is being used under licence globally, makes the company’s chargers among the most reliable available anywhere. Currently, across its Oxfordshire network it is achieving incredible charger up-time of 99.7%.
