Proposal 18 – Informing consumers about EVs and smart charging products and services

2 December 2020

Industry to establish best practice standards for point of sale information.

As the electric vehicle market develops, the rapidly growing choice of products and services on the market may be confusing. Many organisations might play a role in informing and advising consumers about smart charging with the point of sale being a key opportunity to engage with them. 

There is a risk that information given to consumers about EV smart charging could cut across different industries and organisations, causing confusion and providing an unpredictable consumer education. For example, you may learn about smart charging from a car manufacturer, a dealership, your energy supplier or a charge point operator. This could lead to inconsistencies in the quality of information and support given to consumers. 

It will be important to promote best practice on information provision at the point of sale. This will help drive up knowledge within the supply chain and provide consumers with confidence that the person they are speaking to is knowledgeable and can support them in their purchasing decision. 

Consideration should be given to the following points:

• Industry must develop and implement best practice standards for information provision at the point of sale;
• The standards must be backed up by an independent accreditation scheme to verify they are being applied consistently;
• This process should be industry-led in the first instance with Government keeping the situation under review, taking powers to intervene at a later date if necessary;
• The National Franchised Dealers Association’s (NFDA) Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme can be used as a starting point. Other sector groups should seek to replicate and adapt the scheme to ensure that consumers are offered comprehensive and accurate information; and
• To give consumers added confidence, Government should endorse the standards, provided they are sufficiently ambitious.