British electric car charging specialist EZ-Charge is preparing to ramp up production of its self-developed 22kWh charging unit following the announcement of the Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.

EZ-Charge say it’s seen a huge upsurge in enquiries for its chargers and now expects planned production to increase exponentially as a result

Revealed two weeks ago, the plans reinforce the Government’s aim to expand the UK’s charging network, so that it is “robust, fair and covers the entire country” – as well as improving the consumer experience. The work includes a new £450m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund for local authorities to use to expand charge point provision in their area. Meanwhile, new legal requirements on operators will see drivers of EVs able to pay by contactless, compare charging prices and find nearby charge points via apps, while rapid charge point operators will be mandated on a 99% reliability rate.

Since the plans were announced, Bicester-based startup EZ-Charge say it’s seen a huge upsurge in enquiries and now expects planned production to increase exponentially as a result.

While the brand’s range of charging solutions includes everything from home chargers to 50kWh rapids, interest is focused primarily on its 22kWh unit – believed to be the only such unit currently available that accepts contactless payment. It also offers other features that ensure it complies with all legislation set out in the government strategy, including a 99%+ uptime rate, 24/7 helpline and roaming capability, ensuring that all EZ-Charge units can be used by all drivers without any membership or registration.

EZ-Charge founder and CEO Phil Shadbolt said: “We were thrilled when the Government announced its new strategy and even happier when we realised that the charger features demanded by the new legislation had been built into our chargers as ‘must-haves’ from the very beginning.

“However, we were not expecting the announcement to translate into actual interest from potential customers quite so quickly. We’ve literally been overwhelmed and we’ve had to go back to the drawing board to dramatically revise our production schedule upwards.”

He added: “Our speciality as a brand is working with local authority partners to devise, install and manage off-street charging hubs in the hearts of communities where people work, live and play. It’s local authorities like this that will be keen to apply for the new government funding and our proven track record from leading projects like Oxfordshire Park & Charge makes us the ideal partner to support their bids.”