England will be the first country to have its government introduce legislation in 2021 which mandates newly built homes and offices to have EV chargers installed. All the new homes will be featuring smart charging devices. Such charging ports are designed to automatically charge vehicles during off-peak periods.
Furthermore, it says that the new office building should have one charge port for every five parking spaces. This new law will make England the first country to have such a rigorous push towards EV transformation. As such laws are implemented, citizens can also feel at ease before shifting to electric vehicles, reducing range anxiety. Many homes and locations in the country do not have off-road parking facilities or garages, so having charging points on parking spaces would be a preferable option for customers.
This proposal is part of the country’s push to boost charging points prior to the 2030 ban of new fossil fuel vehicles. In 2019, England’s government did make a proposal to have mandatory charging points in new homes. However, the present push towards EVs is going to make it happen this time.
CEO of clean energy company Good Energy, Nigel Pocklington said,
“Flexible charging at home and at the workplace during the day is going to be crucial to decarbonizing not just transport but the UK’s entire energy system. As will better energy efficiency, electrified heating, and solar power on 13.5 million homes – we hope to see all these as part of the plans for new homes, too.”
EV shift
The law is expected to be implemented by 2022. Additionally, the UK government recently announced EV8 switch, a free app on World EV day, stating, “It calculates how much money UK drivers could save by switching to an EV compared to their current petrol or diesel vehicle, along with details on the carbon dioxide (CO2) savings and air quality improvements they could achieve. Drivers can also see which electric vehicles would be the most suitable for them based on their current vehicle and how switching to electric could fit in with their current lifestyle. Those with the app can also see how close their nearest charge points are, and which journeys can be completed without the need to top up en route.”
Embracing EVs would be more convenient and practical with this law. Bloomberg reported that the government is also planning on having charging points for street lamps, and is investing £40 million (about $53 million) for the pilot program which works on making low-cost wireless charging possible.
