UK Proposes EV Chargers For New Homes And Streamlined Public Charger Payment Procedures

The government of the UK announced this week that it wants all new homes with dedicated parking spaces to include an EV charger. The proposal is in response to “the growing uptake of electric vehicles within the U.K.,” according to a report by CNBC. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the press on Monday there was “an appetite for cleaner, greener transport. 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,” he added.

Photo provided by WallBox

Owners of existing homers in the UK are eligible for a £500 grant from the government to help with the cost of installing a charging equipment at their residence.

The government also wants to simplify how drivers pay for charging their electric cars in public. At present, there is a confusing welter of charging networks, some of which require drivers to sign up in advance and carry a separate network payment card. Going forward, the government wants all newly installed public fast chargers to accept regular debit or credit card payments. The target date for compliance is spring of 2020.

The directive represents a recognition by the government that making EV charging more convenient will encourage more people to consider purchasing an electric vehicle for their personal transportation needs. There are still many people who do not quite understand that if you plug your EV in every night,  you start every day with a fully charged battery (or an 80% charged battery if that is your preference).

The analogy for people who still drive gasmobiles is this — it’s as if a person creeps into your garage every night and replenishes your gas tank, so you start out every morning with the gas gauge on full. No detours to a gas station on the way to work, no waiting in line to access a pump, and no stink of gasoline on your clothes when you arrive.

If installing an EV charger is part of the original plans for building a new home, the cost of the equipment and installation will be minimal compared to the cost of adding one later, after all the walls are finished and an electrician needs to fish new wires from the entry panel to the garage. Soon any home without an EV charger will be considered an oddity.