EV Roam, a new service provided by Renewable Energy Assurance Limited (REAL), delivered in partnership with the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), will help facilitate the uptake of roaming between EV charging networks in the UK.
EV Roam will register unique identification codes to be used by Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs). This service is crucial for those using the open protocol OCPI to communicate and underpins the legal agreements between companies described below. This service will make the experience of charging on public networks easier and encourage more individual drivers and fleets to go electric.
Roaming (more generally known as ‘interoperability’) refers to CPOs and eMSPs developing cross-network solutions with each other so that EV drivers with one charging company’s membership system (e.g. app or RFID card) can use the same system to pay for their charging event on another company’s equipment.
Roaming has been highlighted as a key development to drive increased uptake of EVs by the EV Energy Taskforce in their final report, and by Transport for London in their EV Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
Roaming is commonplace in many countries in Europe but has only begun to take off in the UK in the past two years. This new service for the UK is expected to accelerate such agreements coming to the fore.
EV Roam will serve as the UK’s ID Registration Organisation (IDRO). It will operate in line with the EU’s IDACS 2019 agreement and ISO15118 agreed codes.
Companies that have already signed up to the registration service include Zap-Map (to facilitate their Zap-Pay service), Drivenergy, and Octopus Energy.
Virginia Graham, Chief Executive of Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd said: “REAL is in an ideal position to provide this important service alongside the other schemes we run in the renewable energy and circular economy sectors. We work in an independent and not-for-profit manner, and any profits from EV Roam will be recycled back into the organisation so we can grow other schemes crucial to the growth of the sector.
“These include the EV Consumer Code for Home Chargepoints (EVCC) which sets and enforces high standards for domestic charge point installers.”
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, Chief Executive at the REA commented: “The REA’s EV Forum has campaigned for greater uptake of roaming for the past eighteen months. We welcome the emergence of this service and hope to see widespread industry engagement with it.”
Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said: “As more drivers than ever are making the switch to zero emission vehicles, paying for charging should be seamless and easy.
“That’s why I’m so pleased to see the launch of such an important service, which will help us to achieve our net zero goals and take us one step closer to a cleaner, greener transport future.”
