The UK wants to put EV chargers in every new home
UK’s plan for EV chargers in every new home
The United Kingdom is trying to pass a number of EV-friendly pieces of legislation that encourage mass EV adoption. As part of that effort, all new homes in the UK could be fitted with charge points in the near future.
EV adoption hasn’t necessarily been slow in the UK – battery electric vehicle sales hit a record high in 2018 – but the move is a first of its kind endeavor and would support the UK’s plan to stop the sale of new diesel or gas-powered cars by the year 2040.
The proposal
“With record levels of ultra-low emission vehicles on our roads, it is clear there is an appetite for cleaner, greener transport,” Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the proposed legislation. “Home charging provides the most convenient and low-cost option for consumers – you can simply plug your car in to charge overnight as you would a mobile phone.”
You can already plug any EV into a wall outlet, but charging a BEV at that rate is exceptionally slow. This new plan would put in chargers that would supply power at around 7 kilowatts. Compare that to the standard 1.8 kilowatts for most home outlets and the charge rate jumps dramatically.
According to Electrek, other policy recommendations include:
Every new non-residential building and every non-residential building undergoing a major renovation with more than ten car parking spaces to have one chargepoint and cable routes for an electric vehicle chargepoint for one in five spaces.
A requirement of at least one chargepoint in existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces, applicable from 2025.
Maybe the US should adopt a similar policy to increase EV adoption rates throughout the country and help make the problem of charging up an EV a thing of the past.
By Nicholas Yekikian
Borrow is an electric vehicle subscription company with one goal: to make driving an EV as simple and accessible as possible. Borrow is the only electric vehicle subscription service of its kind with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the everyday drive.