Be careful if you rely on a public charger to get you where you’re going. It may not work if there is no mobile coverage. The Times newspaper published an article about the importance of mobile coverage for Electric vehicle (EV) charging points. This is a typical use case that we can deal with with our technologies.
The inability to use public charging stations in areas with poor mobile service is undermining efforts to convince motorists to change to electric vehicles. Most chargers require the employment of a smartphone app. A task force appointed by Boris Johnson urged the telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, to publish maps to alert drivers when charging stations are in areas “black spots” – areas without reception- or “no spot”- areas where one or more networks don’t operate.
In Great Britain, the electric vehicle (EV) energy task group conducted a thorough investigation to determine whether drivers could use an app on their phones to activate and pay for charging. A problem was discovered along more than 20% of the length of A and B highways in 22 local authorities.
The British Isles’ outlying regions were severely impacted, with 56% of Argyll and Bute in Scotland lacking adequate connectivity for dependable charging. Significant differences exist within the country of residence, with Sevenoaks, Kent, and Maldon, Essex both at 11%. In Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, 28% of the roads lacked connectivity.
The driver can often believe that the coverage is poor when the real problem is a weak cellular signal. To properly equip the charging points so that they can operate wherever they are located and on any mobile network to which their users subscribe, you must first have an accurate picture of the connectivity of the mobile signal through the road network.
The goal of expanding the number of fully electric vehicles on the road from 450,000 to 10 million by 2030 is hampered, according to Grant Shapps, the secretary of transportation admitted that weaknesses in the network of public chargers are an obstacle to the goal of increasing the number of fully electric vehicles on the road.
By 2030, the government plans to spend £1.6 billion increasing the number of public charging stations from 30,000 to 300,000. This is more than the 66,000 slots at gas stations because charging a car takes so much longer than filling it up with gas.
Home chargers will be available to 70% of the population who have private off-street parking. 277,000 households have applied for grants of £ 350 each, but the funds have run out. All new homes and those undergoing “significant” renovations must have vehicle charge points by June.
For longer trips, drivers must rely on public chargers, which are more expensive than charging at home and can require juggling dozens of payment cards and phone apps.
“We’re asking consumers to jump through hoops,” said Quentin Willson, who leads the Fair Charge campaign to increase support for electric vehicles. All of these charges should be made with simple contactless cards, so you can pay for electricity the same way you pay for gasoline. We will lose the battle if we continue to make it difficult for consumers to change their behavior and purchase electric vehicles, and if they lack confidence in the infrastructure and whether it works or not.”
According to Ofcom, the government’s shared rural network strategy is improving mobile reception, and it adds: “To ensure reliable mobile connections at charge points, energy providers will need to collaborate directly with mobile operators, which we are prepared to assist with”.
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