The government may have expended much time, money and effort on Fuel Finder, but now the UK’s EV and chargepoint sectors are calling for new legislation mandating chargers be given equal prominence to petrol stations as far as signage is concerned.
Instavolt, Chargy, Electric Vehicles UK, and Octopus Electric Vehicles have joined forces to urge the government to introduce “clear, consistent symbols and pre-signs” for chargers on motorways and A-roads and key urban routes, while also making it easier for local authorities to add signage for charging hubs.
The move comes as the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles opens a call for evidence into EV signage, with that following a legislation change last year that made it possible for chargers to be more easily signed on major roads.
Instavolt’s chief executive, Delvin Lane, comments: “EV charging locations are treated very differently to petrol stations in the rules that govern road signs. That means thousands of high-quality public chargers are installed, operating, but not obviously signposted from key routes. If we want drivers to feel confident going electric, that has to change.”
John Lewis, Lane’s counterpart at rival firm Chargy, says: “We would urge government and local authorities to treat EV signage, including wayfinding to on-street and lamppost chargepoints, as critical infrastructure.”
And Tanya Sinclair, boss of Electric Vehicles UK opines: “Drivers cannot use infrastructure they cannot see. If we are serious about confidence in the EV transition, charging must be signposted as clearly and consistently as petrol. This is not a technology issue. It is a visibility issue, and if we can fix it, we will bring confidence to current and future EV drivers.”
