Towards the end of last year, it was announced that from July 1st 2019 the government would only be funding ‘smart’ electric vehicle chargepoints.
This tightening up of funding eligibility criteria for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme is designed to help contribute to the government’s net zero emissions target, as well as bringing costs down for consumers.
To that end, the government has released a list of 200 charge-point models, from 25 manufacturers, which have been confirmed as eligible for grant funding after July 1st.
And anyone looking for electric vehicle installation in the Birmingham area need look no further, as The Car Charging Company is a preferred installer for Rolec EV, which is one of the approved manufacturers on the list.
Under the new criteria, all installations that are backed by the Electric Vehicle Homecharge grant scheme must have the ability to be remotely accessed and capable of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a signal.
Smart charging can reduce high peaks of electricity demands, minimising the impact of electric vehicles on the electricity system – and crucially, keeping costs down for consumers by encouraging off-peak charging.
Smart electric vehicle chargers for the home
Rolec’s Wallpod: EV HomeSmart is one of the models that has been confirmed as eligible for government funding. This smart charging unit has been designed to provide the user with a simple, mobile phone interactive EV charging solution for the home.
Electric vehicle drivers can control the charging activity of their WallPod:EV HomeSmart unit using their mobile phone, and monitor/record all their charging activity, data and history.
Rolec EV manufactures a range of Smart interactive EV charging solutions for the home, workplace, commercial premises and more exposed locations. The chargers automatically connect to the PowerPortal cloud-based back office via GPRS and begin relaying charge point information and activity back to the portal. This can then be used for reporting, analysing and preparing statistics.
Features include being able to switch an electric vehicle charger on and off, check the charging status and check kWh consumption – all via a mobile phone.
Zero emission revolution
Speaking about the new technological requirements, Roads Minister Michael Ellis, said: “The government wants the UK to be the best place in the world to build and own an electric vehicle, with leadership and innovation helping us pave the way to a zero emission future.
We’re in the driving seat of the zero emission revolution. Our new requirements for chargepoints could help keep costs down, ensuring the benefits of green transport are felt by everyone.”
Grants for electric vehicle charegpoints
As a government-approved installer of electric vehicle chargepoints and a Rolec preferred installer for the Birmingham area, The Car Charging Company can apply for grants on behalf of customers looking to take advantage of electric vehicle funding while it’s available. Get in touch with us now to find out more about electric vehicle chargepoint installation in Birmingham, grants and how much you can get towards the cost of your installation.