New electric car rules to apply in the UK from today – what you should know
The Department of Transport has announced that drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private EV sockets.
The change, which takes effect from Thursday (29 May), is expected to help drive electric vehicle uptake as drivers and businesses will no longer have to deal with unnecessary red tape.
This will unlock savings of up to £1,100 a year compared to running a petrol or diesel car, the department said.
“Everyone at Smart Charge knows how important it is to make EV charging simple, reliable and accessible – both to make transport cleaner and to ensure we’re meeting the everyday needs of drivers throughout the UK,” said Patrick Dunne (Sainsbury’s Chief Property and Procurement Officer and MD of Smart Charge).
“We welcome this new streamlined approach to installing charge points, which will help accelerate the nation’s adoption of EVs.”
Extended support
Government support currently allows people renting or owning a flat and those with on-street parking to receive up to £350 off the cost of installing a home charger. The Department of Transport said it has now helped install 18,000 sockets in workplace carparks in the last year alone.
This is firmly placing the UK on the road to becoming an EV world-leader, with nearly 80,000 public EV chargepoints now available in the UK, it said. The department’s statistics show that a record of nearly 3,000 public charging devices were added in April 2025 alone, with one popping up every 29 minutes.
“This is a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground,” said Lewis Gardiner (Operations Director for the Osprey Charging Network).
“Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.
“It’s the result of months of collaboration between industry and government, and we’re proud to have played a key role in making it happen,” he said.
