The UK is experiencing an electric vehicle (EV) revolution and coupled with the government’s Road to Zero initiative, now is a good time to consider what a smart charger is and why it is needed.
A smart charger is basically a charge point that is connected to the internet. So, let’s jump in to why they’re a smart idea:
- You can make some money:
Smart chargers provide all transaction data, so it can be operated commercially where users are charged for usage and owners are compensated. However, you do need a certified MiD meter which gives accurate kWh consumption information
- Lower cost of electricity:
The latest generation of smart chargers allow you to programme when your car will charge so you can take advantage of off-peak electricity tariffs.
- Lower cost of installation:
Smart chargers can connect with each other and are capable of being part of a load-balancing group, so installing them the first time around reduces the cost of having to replace old charge points in the future.
They can be controlled remotely, even allowing users to unlock a cable at distance.
- Keeping street lights on:
If a few people are charging on the same street at the same time, it’s likely to affect the power supply to essential infrastructure. But a smart charger enables charging speeds to be reduced at peak times to bypass this issue.
They collect data remotely as well, both per charger and per user. This is particularly useful in the workplace for declaring usage and benefit-in-kind for tax purposes.
- Speed of repair:
Smart chargers log all charge point information, including performance and faults. This makes it possible to fix problems without an engineer having to come out and carry out diagnostics to determine what’s wrong. No engineer = no cost.
Once you break it down, it’s easy to see why smart chargers are the best option when it comes to the adoption of EVs. They solve a lot of the problems that are a block on consumers choosing an EV over a traditional petrol or diesel car, such as zapping electric away from street lights!