News
The cost of owning an EV has continued to be a stumbling block for UK car owners hoping to make the switch to electric. Alongside the high upfront cost of an electric vehicle come costly infrastructure fees, with at-home chargers currently costing in the region of £1,000 to £1,500. In addition to these steep overheads, EV owners in the UK face a complicated charger application process that relies on government approval.
All this could be about to change, as the government has announced plans to reform the EV charging process, making it easier for renters and residents without a private driveway to install their own at-home EV charger. As over 40% of UK properties do not have a driveway, these reforms could provide a much-needed boost to the UK’s EV market.
As well as a reduction in public charging costs, the new reforms could also remove the need for planning permission for cross-pavement charging solutions.
Whilst these reforms are unlikely to remove all associated costs, the new legislation is projected to save residents up to £250 in application fees.
According to the Chief Technical Officer of on-street charging solution firm Kerbo Charge:
“Residents currently have to make two separate applications to enable charging without a driveway — one to the County Council Highways Authority, and then a more cumbersome second application to the District Council Planning Team.”
“What makes this such a barrier to residents,” Whitaker continued, “is not only that one council officer might say ‘yes’ and another ‘no’, but also that the application includes a non-refundable £528 planning fee, complex architects’ diagrams, maps and, in some areas, a mandatory wildlife impact survey — all to fit a device roughly the size of a tin postbox!”
It’s not just the at-home charging process that is undergoing an overhaul; the proposed reforms are also targeting car parks, mandating access to EV chargers in all multi-storey and covered car parks.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“Wherever you park your car, we’re making it fairer, easier, and cheaper to make the switch to electric. These reforms will improve infrastructure for the EV revolution, increase charge points 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.”
The proposals represent another step towards the government’s plan for a fully electric transition, whereby the sale of all petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned by 2030. In line with this vision, the government launched the Electric Car Grant earlier this year, offering discounts of up to £3,750 towards the purchase of new EVs. The latest reforms represent another effort to boost the uptake of EVs by removing some of the associated costs and complications.
Keep up-to-date with the latest mobility news by subscribing to MOVEMNT’s free newsletter
Also in the news:
Italvolt partners with StoreDot to produce extreme fast charging lithium-ion battery technology
Solid Power deepens relationship with BMW to build batteries at home
Octopus Energy partners with Stellantis to accelerate EV uptake
Tesla announces Powerwall customers can now sell their electricity back to the grid