England to Introduce Legislation That Will Require Newly Built Homes and Office to Have EV Chargers

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 10 September 2021, 08:09 pm

(Photo : GettlyImages/ SOPA Images ) Tesla car

England will require new homes and offices to feature electric vehicle chargers as part of the legislation that the British government will introduce.

England EV Chargers at Home

All new homes and offices will have to feature EV charging devices that can charge electric vehicles, especially during off-peak periods. New office blocks will have to install a charge point for every five parking spots.

The new legislation will make England the first country to require new establishments and homes to have EV chargers.

The feature can boost the confidence of people who wants to transition from regular cars that needs gas to electronic vehicles that need charging.

Numerous homes in England do not have garages or off-street parking.

Also Read: Uber Partners Up With UK's Arrival, to Use Electronic Vehicles For Ride-Hailing Purposes

The EV Mandate

The proposal by the British government is part of the movement to increase the number of chargers across the country ahead of the 2030 ban in the United Kingdom of new fossil-fuel cars.

The UK government announced a proposal back in 2019 to require all new homes have a charge point, according to Electrek.

In August, the UK government offered a grant to those who want to purchase EVs.

The CEO of clean energy company Good Energy, Nigel Pocklington, said that flexible charging at home and workplace during the day is going to be crucial to decarbonizing the transport in the UK, but also decarbonizing the whole energy system.

Pocklington added that it could help build better energy efficiency. It can also electrify heating and boost solar power that can accommodate 13.5 million homes.

According to Business Green, the home and office EV charger mandate is expected to begin in 2022. Also, the UK government announced a free app, the EV8 Switch, on World EV Day.

The EV8 will calculate how much money the drivers could save by using electronic vehicles instead of the current diesel or petrol cars. It will also show details about carbon dioxide savings and the improvements in air quality if they switch vehicles.

Drivers can also review which EV would be suitable for them based on the current car that they are driving. It can also show how switching to EV could improve their current lifestyle.

People who have the app can see how close the nearest charging points are and which route they have to take to get there.

The announcement of the app came after London granted Uber the permission to operate EVs around the city.

Shell Offers to Install EV Points

To support the new mandate, Shell offered to install 50,000 EV charging points in the UK over the next four years. The company wants to provide the needed network in order to reach the national climate change target.

Earlier this year, Shell acquired Ubitricity, a supplier of on-street EV power points used by local authorities. The company has a network of 3,600 charges that are positioned in numerous lamp posts, according to Sky News.

The difficulty of having on-street charging, especially in urban areas, has been a challenge in the UK government's plan to phase out traditional vehicles. The sale of diesel cars will be banned in the UK in 2030.

Shell plans to cover installation costs to entice local authorities into putting EV chargers in their respective areas. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles shoulders 75% of the installation cost of EV chargers.