The EV Café

Charger Uptime Rules: Reliable…According to Who?

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

Charger Uptime Rules: Reliable…According to Who?Charger Uptime Rules: Reliable…According to Who?

Concerns are growing over how the UK monitors compliance

Latest podcast

Coming 03 Jun

#169 - Dev Chana | E.ON Drive Infrastructure#169 - Dev Chana | E.ON Drive Infrastructure

Scheduled for 03 Jun 2026

Dev Chana started his career as an oil broker in Kensington. Three decades later he's running E.ON Drive Infrastructure in the UK, and his ambition for public charging is unexpectedly modest: he wants it to be boring. Reliable, standardised, unremarkable. The kind of refuel you don't post about because there's nothing to post. Paul and Sara catch up with Dev after first meeting his team in a rain-lashed Welsh car park during the EV Rally, where the curb-free bays, weighted cables and a small dog set the tone for what EDRI is quietly building. What's on the table: - How a 10-person team has put 300+ bays in the ground in three years, when the industry average to install a *single* charger is 18 months - The 39p–44p/kWh opening price, why there's no app or membership, and what "no faff, no fuss" actually costs to deliver - Accessibility decisions baked in from day one: no bump stops, five-metre cables, CCTV on every HPC site, drainage that doesn't dump a puddle at the driver's feet - Why EDRI tiers its food and beverage partners instead of building its own forecourts — and why two early petrol-station sites won't be repeated - Vans now make up 25% of utilisation. Nobody invited them. What that's telling EDRI about the next phase of the network - The Shanghai motor show, BYD's jumping supercar, and what the XPeng/VW partnership signals for European OEMs - Dev's car-club mates who told him EVs would never take off — and have now switched their dailies - The mentors who shaped him: Ann Buckingham, who pulled him into the sector, and his father's moral compass - Where consolidation in the CPO market needs to land for the consumer experience to finally standardise Dev is a self-confessed petrolhead with a V8 from the early '90s and a 1981 classic with fewer than 15 survivors. He's also the leader most likely to tell you the industry isn't done learning — and to ask what *you'd* change. **LinkedIn:** <https://www.linkedin.com/in/dev-chana-1228b94/> **Website:** <https://www.edri.com/>

Next event

The EV Café weekly news bulletin - 05 June 2026The EV Café weekly news bulletin - 05 June 2026

05 Jun

2026

09:00 - 09:30 (GMT / BST)

Europe’s EV Transition Faces Political Pressure

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

Europe’s EV Transition Faces Political PressureEurope’s EV Transition Faces Political Pressure

Fleet Electrification Shifts from Sustainability to Survival

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

Fleet Electrification Shifts from Sustainability to SurvivalFleet Electrification Shifts from Sustainability to Survival

More News

Used EV Market Surges as Confidence Finally Builds

By The EV Café Team

// 15 May 2026

Used EV Market Surges as Confidence Finally BuildsUsed EV Market Surges as Confidence Finally Builds

The used EV market is having a proper moment.

Polestar’s Sustainability Push: Is Green Enough Anymore?

By The EV Café Team

// 08 May 2026

Polestar’s Sustainability Push: Is Green Enough Anymore?Polestar’s Sustainability Push: Is Green Enough Anymore?

Polestar revealed it has cut greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle sold by 31% since 2020

Potholes: Britain’s Most Successful Traffic-Calming Measure

By The EV Café Team

// 08 May 2026

Potholes: Britain’s Most Successful Traffic-Calming MeasurePotholes: Britain’s Most Successful Traffic-Calming Measure

Forget range anxiety, this week the real road hazard was potholes.

Electric Vans Continue Their Charge Forward

By The EV Café Team

// 08 May 2026

Electric Vans Continue Their Charge ForwardElectric Vans Continue Their Charge Forward

Battery electric van registrations climbed by 44.7% in April

Podcast Episodes

#168 - Elliot Richards | Everything Electric APAC#168 - Elliot Richards | Everything Electric APAC

Published 27 May 2026

Paul and John take listeners deep into the heart of China’s electric vehicle revolution with Elliot Richards, long-time Shanghai resident and driving force behind of Everything Electric APAC. Fresh from Auto China, the conversation covers: - How Elliot went from a three‑month visit to China to 20 years immersed in its EV industry. - The rapid transformation of cities like Shenzhen to all‑electric taxis and buses in under two months. - The rise of BYD, Geely, and other manufacturers, and how vertical integration is giving Chinese brands a massive global advantage. - Game‑changing innovations in batteries, from sodium‑ion grid storage to five‑minute flash charging and upcoming solid‑state technology. - Autonomous driving, LiDAR‑equipped vehicles, robo‑taxis, and cargo bots that already operate in Chinese cities. - The commercial vehicle sector, battery swapping, and why Europe’s legacy manufacturers are now partnering—or being outpaced—by Chinese firms. ## Elliot Richards (LinkedIn) <https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-richards/> ## Everything Electric APAC <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVtrDZAqOFM8_wIZHHzsqvg>

#167 - Tanya Sinclair | Electric Vehicles UK#167 - Tanya Sinclair | Electric Vehicles UK

Published 20 May 2026

This week: Tanya Sinclair, Chief Executive of Electric Vehicles UK (EVUK). Tanya shares how EVUK is tackling misinformation about electric vehicles, supporting both current and future drivers, and working with the wider e-mobility sector to build collaboration rather than competition. She discusses the organisation’s approach to public engagement, from hosting hands-on events like Everything Electric to street-level outreach in city centres and even driving Members of Parliament around Westminster in EVs. Tanya explains how EVUK balances the need to educate hesitant drivers with the fast-paced innovation happening in the industry, all while building a sustainable organisation from the ground up. **There’s insights on:** - Combating EV myths and online “guff” - Engaging millions of future EV drivers beyond the enthusiast bubble - The role of vans, taxis, and fleets in accelerating adoption - Collaborating across the entire e-mobility ecosystem - Bringing joy and positivity to serious industry work Events mentioned include Everything Electric West (12–13 June in Cheltenham) and upcoming city-centre activations in Manchester, plus EVUK’s continued presence at political and industry showcases. ## Tanya Sinclair (LinkedIn) <https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyasinclair/> ## Electric Vehicles UK <https://electricvehicles.uk> ## Everything Electric <https://uk.everythingelectric.show>

#166 - Becky Lalanne | Voqa#166 - Becky Lalanne | Voqa

Published 13 May 2026

This week, Paul and Sara sit down with Becky Lalanne, Managing Director of Voqa, a new entrant in the UK EV charging market. Becky shares how Voqa is tackling the challenge of destination charging, introducing a 7–22kW AC charger with built-in contactless payments, designed to make charging effortless for drivers and more commercially viable for venues. **The conversation covers:** - The frustrations of current destination charging and how Voqa addresses them - Why tethered AC chargers and tap-to-pay improve the driver experience - Voqa's approach to designing its own hardware for reliability and ease of maintenance - The revenue-share model and business case for hotels, co-working spaces, and leisure venues - Insights into Becky's career journey from Red Bull cliff diving events to EV innovation They also discuss future-proofing the UK charging network, the role of installers, and why putting the driver at the heart of design is key to accelerating electrification. ## Becky Lalanne (LinkedIn) <https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-lalanne/> ## Voqa <https://www.voqa.com>

#165 - Mike Seymour | Truecharge#165 - Mike Seymour | Truecharge

Published 06 May 2026

This week we sit down with Mike Seymour, the driving force behind TrueCharge, part of the TrueForm Group. With 50 years of experience in street furniture—think bus shelters, tram stops, and digital displays—TrueForm is now turning its expertise to the EV world, focusing on the often-overlooked infrastructure that protects and enhances charging sites. **Mike dives into:** - Why many UK charging sites are underused, exposed, or already looking tired. - How protecting EV chargers with shelters, canopies, and smart street furniture improves driver experience, utilisation, and long-term ROI. - Lessons from his background in the military, sales, and early EV adoption—and how those experiences shaped his approach to business and problem-solving. - The importance of moving the industry from talking and over-promising to actually delivering sustainable infrastructure. If you’ve ever arrived at a windswept charger in the rain and thought, “There must be a better way,” this conversation shows why the solution is already here—and why it matters for the future of EV adoption. ## Mike Seymour (LinkedIn) <https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeseymour1/> ## TrueCharge <https://www.truecharge.co.uk>

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