The UK’s new law mandating smart EV charger installation has complicated or delayed adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) for 74% of 500 UK fleet managers surveyed recently by O Charging (EO), a provider of EV charging solutions.

Furthermore, nearly half (46%) of those questioned are unaware of law’s installation deadline.

One quarter of the fleet managers wrongly assume smart charger installation will boost the costs of running and EV fleet. In reality, according to EO, the average fleet transitioning to smart chargers can expect to benefit as much as a 60% saving in long-term energy costs through effective load management and reductions in excess peak time chargers.

The government’s newly established Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations apply to all new chargers sold for installation at home or in workplaces.

Adding to the misunderstanding about new laws, the UK government ended the plug-in grant for cars nearly a year earlier originally promised. Half of EO’s survey respondents (55%) said such changes had increased business costs.

In a company statement, EO warned confusion about new EV rules poses risks to UK’s progress toward net-zero.

“It's vital that government and industry providers like EO do what they can to ensure confusion over these law changes does not slow down the pace of fleet electrification,” said Charlie Jardine, CEO and founder of EO Charging. “The benefits of smart charging are significant, from increased vehicle uptime, savings on long-term energy costs, to a lower TCO – that’s the message businesses need to hear.”

Jardine pointed out, “The UK has become a world leader in EVS and large fleets, such as EO customers Amazon and Tesco, are setting the pace for their global peers. We must do what we can to continue to strengthen and grow that leadership.”

Despite confusion over the rules, the majority of UK firms continue to transition to EV fleets, with 81% having a clear strategy in place, and 50% already implementing their plans.