Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018

Following agreement by both Houses of Parliament, the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act received Royal Assent on 19 July 2018. This means it is now an Act of Parliament.

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act has two objectives as Jesse Norman as roads minister highlights, “This act will ensure that the UK’s infrastructure and insurance system is ready for the biggest transport revolution in a century.”

The first part of the act establishes that insurers are required to deal with all claims even when the vehicle is operating in automated technology mode. Insurers will also have a right of recovery against manufacturers and the right to exclude liability where the relevant individual fails to keep the software up to date.

The second part of the act deals with the electric vehicle charging infrastructure including issues such as availability, compatibility vehicle types, reliability standards and standardising how they are paid for.

Source / Further Reading:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-powers-to-kick-start-the-rollout-of-electric-chargepoints-across-the-nation
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=4fc39767-4e64-4ae5-85e2-10a5c6fa79de