Tritium says UK charger network with new modular fast chargers hits 98pct up time

Australian EV charger manufacturer Tritium says an electric vehicle (EV) charger network in the UK that uses its new generation modular charging platform is achieving 98 reliability – a figure that, anecdotally, Australian EV drivers can only dream about.

The company says has installed its 150th fast charger for UK charging network operator, evyve, at retail and hospitality sites – mostly pubs – across the UK, from Eastbourne to Edinburgh.

The 98 per cent uptime rate is important because, as we reported earlier this week, a new minimum mandated 99 per cent uptime requirement is expected to be enforced next year as part of the UK government’s proposed rules for public charging stations.

Evyve says it is confident it can get there. Those rules also require per-kWh pricing, price displays and contactless payments.

In a statement, Tritium chief sales officer David Nicholl said it was a critical time for the development of the EV infrastructure that many industries rely on.

“Car manufacturers need their customers to have trust in the rapidly expanding electric vehicle charging network, with assurance that they will have great EV charging accessibility, convenience, and reliability,” he said.

Public charger standards are gaining traction around the world.

The UK followed those set by the EU and the Netherlands, while US President Jo Biden in February said the government’s $US7.5 billion cash injection into public charge stations would be accompanied by new standards that include a minimum 97 per cent uptime, and a reduction in the number of apps that EV drivers must download to access various chargers.

Broken EV chargers are a constant bugbear for Australian EV drivers, leading to a distrust of public networks.

Furthermore, broken chargers in a still-limited network are creating rising tensions among the EV-owning community, who now include not just aficionados who are strict on charging etiquette, but increasingly also regular people who have made the switch for cost or availability reasons rather than passion.

Government funding for charging infrastructure to date has not been tied to minimum standards.

NSW is leading the way, with a $149 million co-funding pot.

The ACT has committed $1.5 million, Victoria has spent $5 million, Queensland has committed $10 million, South Australia $12.35 million, and Western Australia’s latest co-funding grant round was for $15 million.

The federal government has been slipping cash for charging infrastructure through ARENA, with the latest round of funding being $39.3 million for 177 chargers via NRMA in April.

Rachel Williamson is a science and business journalist, who focuses on climate change-related health and environmental issues.