- The UK’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has launched a new survey which aims to gather key stakeholder views regarding the planned rollout of dedicated EV charging signage on the UK’s road network.
- OZEV will use the data collected from the survey to build an ‘evidence base’ for future EV charging signage policy.
- Having EV charging clearly signposted in a standardised format, much like existing petrol stations are, could be a strength to EV adoption, helping EV drivers easily navigate to nearby chargers whilst also highlighting the frequency of public charging to non-EV drivers.
UK continues its plan to roll out EV charging signage
As we explored in our opinion piece earlier this week, public EV charging signage is severely lacking from the UK’s road network – save for non-standardised signs placed on private land. It stands in stark contrast to the commonly placed petrol station signage that we’ve seen across the UK’s major road and motorway network for decades.
Following years of calls for such signage from many figures and organisations within the EV industry, the government previously confirmed that standardised EV signage is in the works, and now OZEV has launched a survey to hear from key stakeholders, running until the 11th of March. Groups that OZEV wish to hear from include charge point operators, motorway service area operators, local authorities, motoring groups, environmental groups, trade groups, and more. You can enter the survey and give your views here.
Some have argued that EV charging signage is unnecessary, from the idea that all modern EVs have built-in charge point discovery. That’s not strictly true, however, with more budget EVs such as the entry-level Vauxhall Frontera Electric and Dacia Spring lacking built-in navigation software. With more ultra-affordable EVs on the horizon, that trend is set to continue. Whilst most of these cars still support phone mirroring for apps like Waze and Google Maps, EV charging signage should still play an important role in an EV future – improving charge point visibility for not only current EV drivers, but also those drivers who might be considering making the switch over the next few years.
FAQ Summary (Powered by AI)
1) What is the UK government’s new EV charging signage survey about?
The UK’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has launched a survey to collect stakeholder feedback on the planned national rollout of standardised EV charging signage across the UK road network, similar to existing petrol station signs.
2) Does the UK have standardised EV charging signs?
Not currently. EV charging signage is largely missing from the UK road network, with only limited and non-standardised signs appearing in some areas, often on private land. OZEV’s survey is part of the process to support a future national rollout of official standardised signage.
3) Who can respond to the OZEV EV signage survey and when does it close?
OZEV is seeking input from groups including charge point operators, motorway service area operators, local authorities, motoring organisations, environmental groups, and trade bodies. The survey is open until 11 March and will be used to build an evidence base for future EV charging signage policy.
