Vattenfall and Shell-owned NewMotion have penned an EV charging roaming agreement in the UK which will see drivers able to access both companies’ infrastructure.
The agreement, due to start in September, will enable EV drivers to charge using either Vattenfall or NewMotion-owned infrastructure and pay via a single app or charge card.
It’s expected to broaden customer access to more than 400 public charging pints in the UK, however the two companies are looking into expanding the partnership further.
As the UK’s EV charging infrastructure has developed, one of the most prevalent issues affecting customer experience is the fragmented nature of charge point operators. With the UK boasting a large number of players in the space, EV drivers have faced the need for a large number of apps or charge cards in order to access significant swathes of the network.
While some network operators do indeed own and operate open access EV infrastructure, NewMotion chief executive Sytse Zuidema said that roaming agreements between operators would only help establish a nationwide charging network that is easy to use.
“With this roaming agreement we both take the lead in creating a wider accessible charging network and make it easier for EV drivers to connect to the charging infrastructure in the UK,” Zuidema said.
Vattenfall’s InCharge EV network is a relatively new entrant to the UK market having only launched its UK-facing operation last year, but has an established presence throughout northern Europe with around 14,500 charge points under operation.
Anthony Hinde, the UK director for InCharge, said that in clinching the roaming agreement the UK EV driver’s experience “has just got that little bit simpler”.
“What is the norm in many European countries – seamless, simple, flexible public charging options as a result of roaming agreements between operators – is still a rarity in the UK. Our agreement with NewMotion is therefore an important step forward and will encourage the uptake of EVs in the UK,” he said.