Electric vehicle drivers could struggle to use around two-thirds of Britain’s most common type of public chargepoint because of patchy mobile signals, according to a report. The RAC Foundation, which conducted the research, warned that the issue risks “undermining” confidence in EV infrastructure.
The vast majority of Type-2 public chargers require drivers to access them via mobile phone apps, and the chargers themselves need an adequate mobile connection to function. Unless all four of Britain’s mobile network providers – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – provide adequate coverage at a charger’s location, there is a risk a driver will be unable to recharge their EV, the report warned.
“Where signal connectivity at a chargepoint is a problem, drivers might conclude that the charger is at fault, hence undermining the confidence we should be building in the reliability of public charging options for electric vehicles.” Last week the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders issued renewed pleas for EV purchase incentives after figures showed a decline in the vehicles’ share of the new car market. Some 15.2% of new cars registered in March were pure electrics, down from 16.2% during the same month last year.