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Queen's Speech: Petrol Stations to Go Electric

posted by CoolHand on Thursday June 22 2017, @08:10PM   Printer-friendly
from the sometimes-things-just-need-a-little-push dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Petrol stations and motorway services will be required to install electric charge points, under plans outlined in the Queen's Speech.

The measure forms part of a government push to increase the number of electric vehicles on UK roads.

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill also contains plans to push driverless car technology.

It includes an extension of car insurance to cover the use of automated vehicles.

There are several trials of driverless cars ongoing in the UK.

Car insurance will be extended to automated vehicles "to ensure that compensation claims continue to be paid quickly, fairly and easily", the bill says.

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  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 23 2017, @05:27AM (4 children)

    by kaszz (4211) on Friday June 23 2017, @05:27AM (#529851) Journal

    Will this make business sense for petrol station owners or will they succumb to costs and quit?

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  • (Score: 2) by ledow on Friday June 23 2017, @07:03AM (1 child)

    by ledow (5567) on Friday June 23 2017, @07:03AM (#529879) Homepage

    Doesn't matter. If they're required to install the points, that's one thing. But being required to sell at a loss is another entirely. They already over-charge dependent on time of day of location (e.g. motorway petrol often costs more despite the same tanker having to pass by it en route to the smaller stations), I can't imagine they'll sell it cheap unless there's a hue subsidy involved.

    • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 23 2017, @08:37AM

      by kaszz (4211) on Friday June 23 2017, @08:37AM (#529905) Journal

      So are they required to sell at a specific price?

  • (Score: 2) by theluggage on Friday June 23 2017, @09:10AM (1 child)

    by theluggage (1797) on Friday June 23 2017, @09:10AM (#529920)

    Can't actually find any real details online (probably not many exist at this stage - and linking to sources doesn't seem to be in fashion) but a slightly expanded version of the announcement is:

    ...allows the government to require the installation of charge points for electric vehicles at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers, and to require a set of common technical and operational standards. This will ensure charge points are convenient to access and work seamlessly right across the UK

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40339564 [bbc.co.uk].

    ...so hopefully they won't do anything quite as daft as require small, local filling stations with limited space to install chargers that nobody wants to use. That is if there are any "small local filling stations" left now!

    Trouble is, someone needs to do some research and planning on where chargers are needed, because the answer probably won't be "at existing filling stations": since most EV users charge overnight at home, and won't need to bother charging on their weekly supermarket trip. (where they currently fill up). My guess (no substitute for research) is:

    • Motorway service stations and large out-of-town service stations (with shops/catering etc.) where people already break long journeys... chargers are appearing at these places anyway - certainly most motorway services already have a couple.
    • Hotels, tourist attractions, workplaces, car parks etc. I.e. the end points of long journeys. This is pretty vital - being able to get a full charge at the destination could really simplify the logistics of long trips.
    • Residential areas without private driveways that rely on street parking or communal garages, which makes EVs pretty much a non-starter. Now that is the one area where the government (national and local) really do need to get involved.

    There's also going to be a pinch-point where a couple of charging bays at key locations won't meet demand and service stations etc. are going to have to wire up half of their parking lot... However, I've yet to see a queue at a charging bay...

    Trying to get vehicle makers to standardise on one connector would be worthwhile (but there the answer is probably "wait and see what the EU does").

    Of course, reliable and affordable trains, and busses that actually went to train stations, would also help avoid the problem entirely...

    • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 23 2017, @03:13PM

      by kaszz (4211) on Friday June 23 2017, @03:13PM (#530040) Journal

      You have a point!
      Seems it's the standard government reaction where when there's a need the instict is to follow the precedent instead of taking the whole picture into account. A quick guess is that petrol stations will have unused charge stations and motorway restaurants, tourist attractions, residential areas will be without them because regulation says they are the wrong type of business..

      Btw, trains are expensive?, and public transport in general don't deliver on time or at all?