13 May 2022
I am handing over as Chair to my fellow Board Director Warren Philips. Warren is a founding Director of EVA England and has been our EV Network and Community Lead; he is a founding member of EV Groups Nexus – the online network of UK EV drivers clubs, and currently co-runs the Sussex EV group. He is an EV and renewables advocate, and his day job is as IT solutions specialist.
I would like to thank you for your support and help to EVA England in the two years since my colleagues and I started our community interest company. We are so grateful to all those who have joined us and helped us, and so pleased at the growth of zero emissions vehicle sales during this time. Here are the highlights:
Since becoming a CIC in July 2020, we have launched to members in March 2021. We have held regular meetings with companies and representatives of the UK Government departments responsible for the promotion of zero emissions vehicles and charge point infrastructure. We have raised issues from our members and electric vehicle (EV) drivers to these departments.
We responded to the Government Consultation on ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, advocating for a 2030 Phase out date based on a survey of over 1000 EV drivers and their experience. (July 2020)
We organised a survey in response to the Government’s consumer experience of EV charge points consultation last year and called for a number of the improvements needed in our response on behalf of over 1,000 EV drivers. These included simplified payment systems, clear and agreed pricing, improved reliability of charge points, improved signage and accessibility in general, and access to more open data in our response to the Government and we are very pleased to see these improvements being progressed by Government through regulations this summer. We are very pleased to be involved in the Government’s work to implement the LEVI funding – a crucial part of the improved infrastructure needed by EV drivers across all parts of England, particularly those without access to their own chargers on driveways.
We have worked to improve accessibility being represented on the Steering Committee of the BSI project sponsored by OZEV and Motability looking at accessibility of EV charge points.
We have been active participants in the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce (EVET) Working Group 2 looking at consumer redress issues for EV drivers and are now in EVET Working Group 3 which is working to make recommendations for improved consumer redress, and how to promote EVs and smart charging to the public. We also so pleased to be members of the Green Finance Institute’s Coalition for the Decarbonisation of Road Transport.
We have also given talks and advice at various events in England, particularly the two recent Fully Charged Live events, formed the EV Alliance of UK and Ireland with partners from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland, as well as meeting with European and a network of EV associations globally – organising with them an EV rally to COP 26 to promote faster global transport decarbonisation. We frequently comment and promote the benefits of EVs in the media and on social media.
Best wishes
Bridget Phelps
Outgoing Chair