As of the 30th June 2022, all EV charge points in the UK must meet the requirements of The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. The regulations apply to occupiers of domestic premises and their visitors, and people at their place of work including fleet drivers at most depots.
WHY IS THIS LEGALISATION COMING INTO EFFECT?
Electric cars are growing rapidly in popularity, which means more charging is being done everyday, creating more of a demand for energy and putting more pressure on the National Grid. The new regulation aims to encourage drivers to charge in a more environmentally conscious way, while also reducing the amount of stress that is currently being put on the National Grid.
HOW HAVE PROJECT EV ENSURED THEY ARE UK COMPLIANT?
This new legalisation lists a number of requirements that your EV charger must now comply to, however, you can keep a peace of mind, since Project EV has already done all of the hard work to make sure that your charger is UK compliant.
In order for you to really sit back and relax, we want to assure you that we’ve made all the relevant alterations to our chargers in order for them to be UK compliant. The three main changes include:
Off-Peak Charging:
To encourage drivers to charge their vehicles in a more environmentally conscious way, all new chargers will be defaulted to charge when other demands for energy are at their lowest, aka, off-peak times. This in turn will lead to lower energy rates for drivers, as well as helping balance the National Grid’s supply. However, no need to worry if you’re unable to charge during these hours, an option to override this default is available, so you’re able to customise your charging times to you.
Randomised Delays:
Alongside off-peak charging, a randomised delay function of up to 10 minutes will apply at the start of each charging session. This is put in place to ensure that everyone’s chargers aren’t coming alive at the exact moment the off-peak period starts, helping to protect both the National Grid and your local electricity substations from surges of demand. So, if you’re a driver who enjoys regularly checking your charging status to make sure it’s running smoothly, make sure you keep these delays in mind.
Enabling Demand Side Response (DSR):
DSR refers to a mechanism where a signal is sent to the National Grid which requests the site to increase/decrease the load that is currently being received. This is done in order to help compensate for any unpredictable surges/dips in the available power supply, meaning that drivers are able to receive the energy level they need, whenever they require it.
Although at Project EV we have been very busy ensuring our chargers are now UK compliant, it’s also important to note that any owner of a Project EV charger is able to opt-out of the various requirements – you can easily find out how to do this by looking in the user manual, or by completing our PM Webinar.
HOW TO KNOW THAT YOUR PROJECT EV CHARGER IS COMPLIANT:
If you’re slightly confused at this point, there is absolutely no need to be! All of Project EV’s AC chargers are UK compliant. And for extra peace of mind we have made it super simple for you to double check that your Project EV charger is following the new regulations.
The box that your charger comes in will arrive with a certificate inside, confirming the compliance status, and there will be a UK compliance sticker on the outside – making it ready to install out of the box!
WHAT IF I ALREADY OWN A PROJECT EV CHARGER?
If you already own a Project EV charger at home you can continue using your charger as normal, as the compliance only applies to the sale of new chargers.
If you’re part of a buying group who sells Project EV chargers, do not worry, since all old stock will have undergone an automatic, over-the-air update, meaning any old stock will be UK compliant and ready to sell under the new compliance.
And of course, we’re not going to leave our installers in the dark about anything – if you’re an installer who has purchased any of our chargers before the 30th June, but are yet to install the charger, then you too can continue as normal! You can install the charger as usual since the compliance only affects the sale of new chargers on, and after, the 30th June.
PROJECT EV ARE COMPLIANT:
At Project EV we have taken all of the necessary steps to ensure that our chargers meet the requirements of The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. Project EV successfully meet all the new requirements, and have teamed up with Electric Miles to ensure the chargers meet the DSR requirement.
We hope we have been successful in raising your confidence both in understanding what the new Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 means, and also in us as a company being UK Smart Compliant.
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