SMS aims to make UK EV chargepoints more accessible through ‘ChargeSafe’ pledge

Joining the UK’s ChargeSafe scheme demonstrates our commitment to providing accessible and easy-to-use public electric vehicle (EV) charging locations for all.

The UK’s leading integrated energy infrastructure business, SMS plc, has become a verified member of ChargeSafe – the national network of UK Charge Point Operators (CPOs) committed to providing EV drivers with safe, reliable, and accessible public charging stations.

ChargeSafe believes that safer and more accessible public EV charging should be the norm and strives to make it easier for drivers to find reliable charging points in secure locations. Aligned with this, research undertaken by SMS for a recently published whitepaper, ‘Powering up public EV charging’, also underlined the need for more convenient and secure charging stations to be established across the UK.

75% of EV drivers surveyed as part of the study reported that they had been unable or unwilling to access chargepoints due to poor maintenance, incompatibility, or payment issues, while 17% also said they had avoided using public EV charge points in the past because they didn’t feel safe in the location.

Recognising these issues, ChargeSafe has joined forces with CPOs like SMS to take a coordinated, national approach towards improving and upholding the standards of the UK’s EV charging infrastructure. ChargeSafe’s team of chartered professionals undertake a detailed (144+ point) inspection of their CPO members’ UK charge point sites and assign each with a star rating out of 5, with the ultimate aim of helping EV drivers easily identify high quality charging facilities via the ChargeSafe Portal.

Becoming a ChargeSafe member will help SMS – a relatively new CPO within the UK’s rapidly growing EV charging space – inform best practice when it comes to its own site assessments, infrastructure design, and customer ease-of-use across its growing network of public EV charging locations. Going forward, this will help ensure the company ensure its sites are inclusive and accessible for all members of the public – including those with disabilities – and that drivers feel safe when using them.

Eugenio Herrero, Managing Director of EV Charging Infrastructure at SMS, said:

“We’re delighted to confirm our membership of the ChargeSafe scheme, further emphasising our commitment to ensuring accessibility, reliability, and convenience are placed at the very heart of the EV charging experience.

“In growing our emerging network of public EV charging stations, SMS is partnering with UK landlords and developers – as well as organisations across the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors – to fully fund, manage and operate chargepoint assets across their property estates.

“Being a ChargeSafe verified CPO will bring a significant level of assurance to these partners that the chargepoints we deploy adhere to the highest quality of site planning, design, and ease-of-use, and will therefore provide an attractive draw to their location from an ever-growing number of EV drivers on UK roads.”

Kate Tyrrell, CEO & Co-Founder EV ChargeSafe, said:

“We are thrilled to have SMS as a member of our accreditation scheme. This means every discussion the team has with suppliers will be mindful of ChargeSafe expectations and will place them in a fantastic position to deliver a quality charge experience on every site they deliver.

“Being a brand-new Charge Point Operator, we are encouraged by the team’s commitment to inclusive infrastructure delivery and look forward to seeing the results of their engagement with our standards in 2024.”