Standardisation is fundamental to ensuring that new technologies develop and grow unhindered by manufacturer-led standards. Dismissing this vital issue can have a detrimental effect on society regarding adopting new technologies, particularly when government targets and regulations are crucial for their success. We have witnessed competing global industries struggle for dominance, such as Betamax versus VHS, where each had a similar user outcome, but the confusion of differing formats slowed growth. We analyse emerging standards for electric vehicle rapid charging and investigate how standardisation challenges affect stakeholders by reviewing the existing literature on single-mode and polymodal harmonisation. By assimilating existing evidence, we then develop a new understanding of the science behind multi-model standardisation (MMS) approaches. Our literature review reveals three primary standardisation issues: (1) charge connections, (2) car to charger communication protocols, and (3) charge payment methods. We then analyse each mode type’s benefit, observing how each example contributes to the overall outcome, and suggest that their impact depends on car to charger handshake timing and intuitive user interaction. Using a structured survey of 282 respondents, we analyse end-user satisfaction for factors affecting growth in the EV sector and compare these findings with the factors identified during our literature review. We consequently articulate a programme for future research to understand EV rapid charger standardisation better, proposing recommendations for vested stakeholders that embrace sponsors in societal, technological and scientific transformation.

For electric vehicles (EVs) to realise the UK government’s goal of mass-market dominance, there are surmountable hurdles to resolve before car users accept this radical shift in motoring technology. This study focuses on recent EV adopters who experience a new phenomenon described as charge point trauma (CPT). In contrast to range anxiety, we define CPT as the psychological, physiological, and behavioural condition where EV user’s experiences develop trauma or anxiety in response to the availability of sufficient charge points, locations, payment processes, and operability. Resolving impediments to EV usage reduces long-term growth barriers, which we argue can subsequently lower or even eliminate EV driver anxiety. We conclude that range anxiety still plays a major part in overall EV driver trauma, and after deep analysis of our case study data conclude that a trauma other than range anxiety exists at the charge point. To mitigate this phenomenon, we propose a regulatory framework comprising a series of stimuli to encourage EV uptake. These recommendations should be targeted at regulating a new generation of EV charging stations to meet operational parity with current fossil fuel filling stations by ensuring they are always on, available in sufficient numbers, accessible and operable as part of the UK motorway and major trunk network. This will de-risk EV purchasing and stimulate their adoption in this embryonic stage, reducing CPT in the process.

Recent transformations from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs) are challenged by limited the driving range per charge, thereby requiring the improvement or substantial deployment of rapid charging infrastructure to stimulate sufficient confidence in EV drivers. This study aims to establish the necessary level of EV motorway service station infrastructure for the United Kingdom (UK) based market. The investigation is founded on increasing the appropriate rapid charger availability and shorter charging times. EV charging patterns are determined, focusing on two Volkswagen iD3 EV models by measuring power curves across field-based rapid chargers at one-minute intervals. Datasets are analysed throughout rapid charging field tests. Additionally, variance synthesis is applied to establish variables within this study’s assessment for rapid charger capacity requirements in the UK. The operational performance for the utilised rapid chargers is correspondingly recorded, whilst the EV range is calculated at 3 miles per kWh, revealing a mean power delivery rate of just 27 kW per hour using a 50 kW rapid charger. Time-of-day charging sessions are used to generate data that is then amalgamated into our previous study data, confirming that rapid charging points on UK motorways are used primarily for EV journey range extension. If fully utilised for an entire 24h period, 434 chargers (with a variance consolidation number of 81) are required to service the UK-based motorway EV user base. Moreover, this study establishes that simply replacing current fuel pumps with individual rapid chargers on a like-for-like basis reduces availability and support for novel and existing users and may impact short-term grid availability.