Electric car owners will find it easier and cheaper to charge their vehicles at home under new plans unveiled on Wednesday (29 October) by the government, designed to make it fairer for renters and those without a private driveway.
The plans would make it easier for renters and leaseholders to install electric vehicle (EV) chargers by mandating chargepoints in new covered car parks and consulting on removing planning permission currently needed for those without driveways to install discreet cross pavement charging gullies.
The reforms would give more people access to domestic electricity rates, enabling families to run their EVs for as little as 2p per mile – the equivalent of London to Birmingham for £2.50.
The government has confirmed it will consider cutting red tape for EV drivers without driveways to make it easier to install cross pavement charging solutions, speeding up applications and putting money back in drivers’ pockets by saving them up to £250 in application fees.
The government will also work with Ofgem to ensure public costs are fair and strengthen protections against landowners overcharging tenants for home charging above the market rate.
On top of this, government and Ofgem will work to ensure operators offer high quality connections as well as smooth and rapid connections for public charging, to ensure the network is resilient and supports the ongoing rollout.
The government said it will shortly launch a consultation on the package, enabling industry to inform how the reforms can best be implemented.
“Wherever you park your car, we’re making it fairer, easier, and cheaper to make the switch to electric,” said Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“These reforms will improve infrastructure for the EV revolution, increase chargepoints across the country and open up affordable home charging to thousands more households. It’s good news for drivers and a big boost for the growing British EV industry – cutting costs and supporting jobs to deliver our Plan for Change.”
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