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Episode 162: Liz Allan and Niall Riddell - Interoperability, EHGVs & Price

Liz Allan speaks to Niall Riddell, CEO and Co-Founder of Paua, to unpack what interoperability really means in the real world, and why the end goal is simple: charging that just works. They explore the driver-first view versus the technical layers behind the scenes, from networks and firmware to payments and pricing. Niall shares his “unpopular opinions” on utilisation, the rural rollout challenge, and how investment horizons and targeted subsidies could unlock equitable access outside urban hotspots.

Niall also discusses why comparing home tariffs to public pricing is like comparing apples to oranges, the compliance and service layers you pay for in public, and how fleets can fairly reimburse drivers across home, workplace, and public charging. They touch on EHGVs (and those all-important pins on the map), the policy journey on VAT and road-use charging, and the data “holy trinity” that will help fleets prove total cost-per-mile and accelerate adoption. Plus: Niall’s grin-inducing test drive of the Mercedes eActros, and why many drivers don’t want to go back to diesel once they've tried electric trucks.

Quote of the Episode

 “Interoperability sounds complex, but the driver's definition is simple: make charging just work, push the complexity into the background so they never see it.” — Niall Riddell

Niall Riddell Bio

Niall Riddell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Paua, the UK fleet charging platform connecting drivers to a nationwide roaming network while simplifying payment, policy and reimbursement for businesses. Before Paua, he led EV and smart-systems work at EDF and SSE, bringing a deep utility perspective to the fleet electrification challenge. Today, his team focuses on practical tools for business: public-network access, home-charging reimbursement, and opening up shared depot charging to trusted partners, all designed to make EV operations seamless for both drivers and finance teams.

Niall Riddell Links

Website: https://www.paua.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nialliriddell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauaev

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