EU Considers Mandatory Card Payment Terminals at EV Charging Points

The European Parliament is considering making card payment terminals obligatory at all EV charging points.

In fact, as electric vehicles (EVs) grow in popularity across Europe, laying down the necessary charging infrastructure has become a top priority for lawmakers.

Learn more: EVs Transform Urban Transport Experience in European Cities

In October, the European Parliament (EP) voted in favor of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) which will update the 2017 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive.

While the EP negotiates with member states on the final form the AFIR will take, ideas currently backed by parliament include the harmonization of payment standards required for public charging points.

As Ismail Ertug, the EP’s rapporteur for alternative fuels infrastructure, told a press conference following the adoption of the AFIR mandate, the legislation includes a proposal to make card payment acceptance obligatory for all charging points.

As things stand, different EU countries diverge on the payment methods they require charging points to facilitate.

While countries like Germany have moved to abolish discriminatory payment systems that require users to participate in an electricity supplier’s in-house invoicing system, most have stopped short of mandating point-of-sale terminals for card or mobile payment.

As such, card payment options are far from a universal feature at charging points, with many operators opting for online payment methods via a dedicated app or QR code-based system.

While these are cheap and easy options that require no additional technology to be built into charging points, having a charged smart device is a prerequisite for using them. But if EV drivers get caught with no battery on their mobile, they may encounter problems charging their cars.

Although most manufacturers of charging points provide models with built-in card readers, retrofitting existing stations would require significant investment by operators.

As the industry evolves, payment technology companies are developing technologies that cater to the growing market for EV charging solutions. This has seen an increasing overlap between the FinTech and EV tech space, as demonstrated by the recent acquisition of EV charging software company Plugsurfing by the payments firm FLEETCOR.

Home Technologies for Smarter EV Charging

While increasing payment options at charging stations is intended to make recharging an EV as easy as filling up with petrol, another way to make EV ownership more attractive is to better enable home charging.

On that front, EU startups are pioneering innovative solutions that help consumers optimize their electricity usage for EV charging.

These range from physical charging units developed by the likes of Amsterdam-based EVBox to software solutions such as Synergi’s smart electricity management platform designed to optimize energy usage for lower costs.

In fact, the Finnish GreenTech company is one of several software developers creating solutions for home energy management that take into account the growing popularity of EVs and self-generated electricity.

Other firms like Barcelona’s Dexma and the U.K.’s eSight Energy have also introduced the concept of the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) to European homeowners, helping them to monitor, analyze and optimize their energy consumption.

These systems enable users to charge their vehicles in the most efficient way, avoiding peak demand hours and lowering overall costs.

And as the EU transitions away from combustion engines, legislative support for public charging infrastructure as envisaged by the AFIR will likely be critical, alongside solutions that make charging at home as easy and affordable as possible.

With the right technology in place, paying to charge EVs can be as convenient as filling up a tank full of petrol or diesel at a fraction of the cost.

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