If you’ve ever been out on the road around the Maltese islands, chances are you’ve come across electric vehicle (EV) charging pillars at some point or another. Whilst the sheer frequency of these pillars is to be commended, EV drivers had one main point of contention with this – compatibility.

Much like mobile phones, EVs don’t all make use of the same charging equipment, rendering certain charging pillars useless for some EV models.

It just so happens that the Ministry for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development has just implemented an initiative that’s about to erase this problem for good!

That’s right – charging pillar compatibility is about to become an issue of the past, as Malta has just introduced interoperable charging systems.

So, what makes a charging system ‘interoperable’?

Good question! Charging pillars are considered interoperable if they satisfy two main criteria:

• They’re compatible with a large variety of EV models
• They offer payment methods that are accessible for all EV drivers

Having said that, ‘interoperability’ can be defined as the ability for two or more chargers to interact with each other and with other charging management systems, and for payments to be processed between charging service providers operating different charging networks.

But wait, there’s more! Charging pillar operators are now also required to offer Cross-Border Charging; in simple terms, this means that a foreigner travelling to Malta in an EV can charge their vehicle locally without having to pay additional subscriptions or fees.

It’s safe to say that the Ministry’s efforts to make driving an EV around the Maltese islands as easy as possible have surely paid off, as public charging pillars are providing around 450 charges every single week – and they were only launched last October!

Looking to make use of a charging pillar yourself?

Finding your closest charging pillar is as easy as one, two, three. Not only has the number of EV charging points across Malta increased drastically to 362 in just a year, but each and every pillar is clearly mapped out on a mobile app named ‘Charge my Ride’. This way, you can rest assured that your beloved EV will never run out of juice!

The ‘Charge my Ride’ app is available for free on both the App Store and Play Store.

Head over to chargemyride.mt to have all your EV-charging related queries answered!