The European Commission (EC) announced today the political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council to improve the EU law on the infrastructure of alternative charging. The new regulation for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR) is set to provide more charging points, also for fast chargers, that will always have to display transparent prices in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and make payment easy.
The following aspects are covered by the new Regulation:
- When charging on-the-go consumers will be able to pay by debit or credit card. In addition, but not as a substitute, charging point operators can provide their own systems such as QR codes.
- Ad-hoc charging prices will become transparent by following the format price/kilowatt-hour (kWh), mirroring the price/liter logic most consumes are accustomed to.
- Charging point operators will have to ensure their network is in proper condition, maintained, and swiftly repaired in case of any malfunction.
Monique Goyens, BEUC Director General, noted: "The move away from petrol cars is clear for all to see. To steer through this change, people must be confident that they will be able to easily charge their car wherever they go. The EU’s decision to legislate for more and better charging points is an excellent way to address the range anxiety anyone might have. But to get rid of this range anxiety once and for all, it’s a no-brainer that transparent pricing and easy payment should be the default at all charging points – not just newly built fast chargers."
Source: EC & BEUC
More information and BEUC press release