To promote the development of electric mobility, the European Union will tackle a problem that has dragged on for too long: invoicing. On the program: easy payment to charge your electric car.
Anyone who already drives an electric car has seen how serious the issue of charging is. complex. Not so much because of the lack of facilities – the situation having improved a lot in recent months – but rather because of sometimes problematic access to terminals and very fluctuating charging costs.
Each operator having its own rules and prices, the motorist is forced to prepare his shot a little bit if he wants avoid unpleasant surprises. Obtaining the sesame that allows the terminal to operate is an often essential first step, even if some facilities accept, at least in theory, payment by credit card. If this is not the case, then you must have a compatible card on you… which is not always the case.
But you also have to take the time to take a good look at the prices. Sometimes, the cost of recharging is such that an electric car becomes more expensive to use than a thermal model. Above all, the price may vary depending on the payment method used… or the application used!
Facilitate payment and make the cost of charging more readable
Faced with this mess, which no doubt frightens many motorists ready to go electric, the Council of the European Union has decided to act, by adding new provisions to the AFIR regulation (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation). The Union will soon require that all terminals with a power greater than or equal to 50 kW accept the payment by credit card.
For those delivering less than 50 kW, the customer will have to be able to pay online, for example by using a QR code.
Do you think that makes sense? This is normal, but it will nevertheless be a real revolution in the world of electric car charging. No more headaches to find the right card depending on the charging network used. Everyone will be housed in the same boat, with a price known in advance, with no unpleasant surprises.
Source: RATP
With regard to pricing, the Union asks operators managing public terminals to charge “reasonable, easily and clearly comparable, transparent and non-discriminatory” prices. Information such as the cost per kWh, per minute or of a full session will have to be clearly communicated in the future, so that the customer understand what is being billed.
New rules in place next year
As Le Point reports, these new rules are still in the discussion phase. They should be officially adopted soon and will enter into force before the end of 2024.
Ionity, Fastned, TotalEnergies, Tesla and all the companies that manage public terminals have therefore been warned: there are only a few months left before the whistle is whistled. end of recess. The harmonization of the rules will concern all the member countries of the Union. It was wanted in a context of strong growth in electric car saleswhich regularly pass symbolic milestones.
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