Electric car charging plans could slash prices for drivers and eliminate long queues
Experts are calling for flexible or dynamic charging prices
PA
Experts are calling for electric car charge point operators to introduce dynamic charging to ease the demand on the energy grid.
The move to introduce flexible charging could be popular among drivers looking to save when charging their vehicles.
These pricing strategies are already employed by train companies, airlines and services like Uber.
The price of energy drops when demand is lower, with experts now saying that motorists could see very low prices in the middle of the night.
Some companies already use flexible pricing during off-peak hours
PA
If this were to be adopted, it would see charges increase dramatically during peak hours, but major savings could be seen when drivers look to charge late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
This would also encourage motorists to charge during off-peak hours to save the most money, avoid long queues and using a higher proportion of renewable energy.
Flexible charging is already being used on Tesla’s Supercharger network, allowing drivers to benefit from cheaper rates at off-peak times.
For most of the time, drivers are charged 54p per kilowatt hour, although drivers will see prices of 67p between 4pm and 8pm every day during peak times.
Ginny Buckley, founder and CEO of Electrifying.com, spoke of how frustrating it was for drivers to wait in long queues at public charging stations.
She added: “The situation is only set to get worse, as the rollout of chargers is failing to keep pace with the growth in electric car sales. We need to see action taken soon if we’re to alleviate the issue.
“It seems crazy to pay less for your ‘fuel’ at certain times of day, but we are all used to paying more for our flights or train tickets based on demand.
“Home energy tariffs which use dynamic pricing are also growing in popularity, so it seems a natural move to extend this to public charging.”
Electrifying.com is also calling on charge point operators to display electricity prices on the chargers themselves and on the app.
The dynamic charges would also help drivers keep an eye on the price with minute-by-minute updates so motorists can avoid high prices.
This comes as Tesla upgrades its Supercharger network in the UK with the new V4 Supercharger, with other non-Tesla EVs being able to use the chargers.
These new chargers also include a physical screen for drivers to see the charging cost, the energy being delivered, the charging rate and the idle fees that could be applied.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The new Superchargers can be used by non-Tesla electric cars
PA
Drivers can now brace themselves for higher speeds of up to 250kW, capable of charging a Tesla Model Y from zero to 80 per cent in under half an hour.