The EU is Considering Making Card Payment Terminals at EV Charging Stations Mandatory

The European Parliament is considering making card payment terminals obligatory at all EV charging points.

FREMONT, CA: The European Parliament is considering mandating card readers at all EV charging stations. Policymakers have made building the necessary charging infrastructure a high priority as electric vehicles (EVs) gain popularity across Europe.

The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which will update the 2017 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, received support from the European Parliament (EP). Harmonising payment criteria necessary for public charging points is one of the initiatives now supported by parliament as the EP negotiates with member states on the AFIR's ultimate shape.

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The legislation contains a proposal to make card payment acceptance mandatory for all charging sites, the EP's rapporteur for alternative fuels infrastructure stated this during a news conference after the AFIR mandate was approved. The payment options that different EU nations mandate charging stations to support vary.

While some nations, like Germany, have taken steps to end discriminatory payment methods that force customers to utilise a power supplier's billing system, most have refrained from requiring point-of-sale terminals for a card or mobile payments.

As a result, the availability of card payment alternatives at charging stations is far from universal. Instead, many operators accept payments online using a specialised app or a system based on QR codes. Although these are inexpensive and simple choices that don't require any additional technology to be put into charging points, using them requires a charged smart device. However, EV drivers can have trouble charging their vehicles if they are discovered driving without a cell phone battery.

Although most charging point manufacturers offer models with built-in card readers, operators would need to make a large investment to convert current stations.

Companies specialising in payment technology are creating products to meet the expanding demand for EV charging solutions as the sector develops. The recent acquisition of the EV charging software company Plugsurfing by the payments company FLEETCOR is one example of the growing overlap between the FinTech and EV tech sectors.

Home Technologies for Smarter EV Charging

While improving payment options at charging stations aims to make recharging an EV as simple as filling up with gas, improving home charging capabilities is another method to increase interest in EV ownership.

EU startups are leading the way in this area with ground-breaking innovations that assist consumers in maximising their use of electricity for EV charging. These include hardware solutions, such as the physical charging devices created by companies like Amsterdam-based EVBox, and software programmes, like Synergi's smart power management platform, which optimises energy use for lower prices.

The Finnish GreenTech firm is one of many software companies providing home energy management solutions that take into account the rising popularity of EVs and self-generated electricity.

The idea of the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) has also been presented to European homes by other businesses like Barcelona's Dexma and the U.K.'s eSight Energy, assisting customers in tracking, analysing, and optimising their energy use.

Using these devices, customers can charge their automobiles in the most cost-effective manner possible by avoiding periods of high demand. Along with solutions that make charging at home as simple and affordable as possible, legislative support for the public charging infrastructure envisioned by the AFIR will probably be essential as the EU moves away from combustion engines.

When the right technology is in place, charging an electric vehicle can be just as simple and inexpensive as filling up a gas or diesel tank.