UK government: compulsory installation of EV charge points and insurance for AV drivers

Motorway services and large petrol retailers will have to install charge points for electric vehicles (EVs), under the UK Government's Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, presented by transport minister John Hayes. In addition, official research estimates that the market for driverless vehicles will be worth £50 billion ($66 billion) by 2035. The bill will increase the access and availability of charge points for EVs, which will have to be ‘smart,' meaning that they can interact with the grid to manage
October 19, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Motorway services and large petrol retailers will have to install charge points for electric vehicles (EVs), under the UK Government's Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, presented by transport minister John Hayes. In addition, official research estimates that the market for driverless vehicles will be worth £50 billion ($66 billion) by 2035.


The bill will increase the access and availability of charge points for EVs, which will have to be ‘smart,' meaning that they can interact with the grid to manage the demand for electricity across the country.

Drivers will be able to locate charge points using information from sat navs or mobile apps, regardless of the vehicle make or model.

In 2016, 85.9% of collisions causing injury involved human error; giving AVs the potential to reduce the amount of road traffic accidents. AV drivers will be required to be insured and victims of collisions involving an AV will have access to compensation in line with the existing insurance policies.

Hayes said: “We want the UK to be the best place in the world to do business as a leading hub for modern transport technology; that is why we are introducing the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill in Parliament and investing more than £1.2 billion in the industry."

James Dalton, director of general insurance policy at the Association of British Insurers, said: “Insurers wholeheartedly support the development of automated vehicles, as they have the potential to significantly reduce the large number of road accidents caused by driver error. We support the approach the Government has taken in the Bill, as this will give the industry time to prepare for the commercial rollout of fully automated driving technology.”

Enforcement

Related Content

  • Swarco installs 34 VAS cameras to calm speeding in Brent
    February 12, 2018
    Swarco Traffic has installed 34 Vehicle Activated Speed signs (VAS) at key locations in the UK borough of Brent to support its council in reducing collisions, road danger and accidents that involve powered two wheelers (P2Ws) such as motorcycles and mopeds. Motorcycles account for 19% of all road user deaths despite representing 1% of total road traffic, according to the National Think Road Safety Campaign.
    Read More
  • Hamburg’s on-demand alternative to commuting by car
    December 5, 2017
    As Hamburg is confirmed as the host for the 2021 ITS World Congress, David Crawford looks at the city’s moves towards enabling MaaS-type operations. Germany’s second-largest city, Hamburg, is pinning its civic reputation on having its promised all-electric, on-demand, shuttle bus ridesharing service up and running by 2018. Partners in the three-year project are regional metro and bus service provider Hamburger Hochbahn and Volkswagen Group’s Berlinbased mobility innovation subsidiary Moia, which was set
    Read More
  • America explores road user charging options
    November 14, 2017
    Jack Opiola casts an eye over the numerous road user charging pilots underway in the US. In the USA, congestion mitigation and improving mobility have often focused on network improvements, increased road capacity, improved public transport, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or ‘express lanes’ and ITS measures – all of which require political capital and major funding. Nowadays, political capital is as hard to obtain as funding because more political leaders are recognising the decline of fuel excise tax
    Read More
  • America explores road user charging options
    November 27, 2017
    Jack Opiola casts an eye over the numerous road user charging pilots underway in the US. In the USA, congestion mitigation and improving mobility have often focused on network improvements, increased road capacity, improved public transport, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or ‘express lanes’ and ITS measures – all of which require political capital and major funding. Nowadays, political capital is as hard to obtain as funding because more political leaders are recognising the decline of fuel excise tax in
    Read More

Highlighted Content