Electric car chargers were becoming an increasingly important part of the UK’s transition towards electric vehicles in 2021. From government policy and new charging infrastructure to the growing number of electric cars on British roads, the move away from petrol and diesel was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
One of the biggest challenges facing the transition to electric cars was charging infrastructure. While public charging networks were expanding, home charging remained particularly important for drivers with access to off-street parking.
The UK Government announced new building regulations in 2021 that would require electric vehicle charging infrastructure to be provided in new homes and certain other buildings in England. The new rules were introduced through Approved Document S and came into effect on 15 June 2022.
The announcement represented a significant step towards making charging infrastructure part of the design of new housing developments.
Under the new regulations, new residential buildings in England with associated parking were required to have access to EV charge points.
For a new home with associated parking, the regulations generally required an electric vehicle charge point to be provided. There were also requirements covering new residential buildings with larger numbers of parking spaces, including cable routes for future charge points where additional chargers were not immediately required.
Installing electric car chargers as part of new developments meant that homeowners could have access to charging infrastructure from the moment they moved into their property.
The rules were introduced as part of Part S of the Building Regulations and also covered new non-residential buildings, certain buildings undergoing a material change of use and buildings undergoing major renovation.
This meant that electric car chargers were increasingly becoming part of the basic infrastructure considered when new developments were designed and built.
There were also transitional arrangements. Building work covered by earlier building notices or applications could fall outside the new requirements provided the relevant conditions and deadlines were met.
The scale of the proposed change was significant.
The UK Government estimated that the regulations could lead to up to 145,000 new EV charge points being installed across England every year.
The introduction of electric car chargers on this scale was intended to make home charging more accessible as electric vehicle ownership increased.
This was particularly important because most EV drivers with suitable off-street parking can charge their vehicles at home, often overnight. Increasing the number of homes with charging infrastructure could therefore make electric vehicles more convenient for a much larger number of drivers.
It also meant that buyers purchasing a newly built property could increasingly expect EV charging to be considered as part of the development rather than having to arrange all of the infrastructure themselves later.
The introduction of electric car chargers into new housing developments was therefore about more than simply adding another piece of technology to a home. It was part of a wider attempt to prepare the UK’s infrastructure for the increasing number of electric vehicles on the roads.
One of the biggest advantages of an electric vehicle is the ability to charge at home.
For drivers with off-street parking, electric car chargers can make owning an EV considerably more convenient.
Instead of making a separate trip to a petrol station, an EV owner with suitable home charging can plug the car in when they return home and start the next journey with a charged battery.
However, not every driver has access to off-street parking. For these households, public electric car chargers will remain an essential part of making EV ownership practical.
This is one reason why the expansion of public charging infrastructure remains important alongside the installation of electric car chargers at new homes.
The Government’s regulations were therefore only one part of the wider charging strategy. Public charge points, workplace charging and home charging all have a role to play in making EV ownership practical.
For drivers considering an electric vehicle, understanding the different charging options is just as important as comparing the vehicles themselves.
When these regulations were announced in 2021, they formed part of a much wider government strategy to transition towards zero-emission vehicles.
At the time, the UK Government’s policy was to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, with some hybrids allowed until 2035. This target was a major part of the push towards electric vehicle adoption.
However, the UK’s policy position has subsequently evolved, so the 2030 target should be understood in the context of the policy that existed when this article was originally published rather than treated as an unchanged current rule.
Importantly, the transition to electric vehicles does not mean existing petrol and diesel cars suddenly become unusable. The ability to buy, sell and drive used petrol and diesel vehicles was—and remains—a separate issue from the rules governing the sale of new vehicles.
This is why the used-car market continues to have an important role during the transition.
You can browse used cars for sale on MotorHype if you’re looking for a vehicle without making the jump to a brand-new EV.
While the introduction of electric car chargers into new homes was a positive step, it also raised questions about fairness and accessibility.
Not everyone lives in a new-build property or has access to a driveway. People living in older terraced houses, flats or properties without off-street parking may have to rely much more heavily on public charging infrastructure.
Expanding access to public electric car chargers is therefore just as important as requiring charging provision in new developments.
There were also significant geographical differences in the availability of public charge points.
Zapmap’s charging statistics showed that London accounted for a particularly large proportion of the UK’s public charging infrastructure at the time. This highlighted the challenge of ensuring that charging infrastructure was distributed beyond major cities and densely populated urban areas.
The issue remains important because an electric vehicle is much easier to live with when drivers have convenient access to charging where they live, work and travel.
The new regulations primarily addressed new buildings and certain major building projects. They did not mean that existing homeowners suddenly had to install electric car chargers.
Existing homeowners were not automatically required to install electric car chargers simply because the new regulations were introduced.
For existing properties, homeowners could still choose to install a home charge point where suitable. Government support schemes were also available at the time to help some households with the cost of installing charging infrastructure.
The Government continues to provide information about EV charging infrastructure and available support through its official electric vehicle charging guidance.
The distinction between new and existing homes was important. New developments could incorporate charging infrastructure into their design from the beginning, whereas retrofitting a charge point to an older property could involve additional installation considerations.
The introduction of electric car chargers into new homes was an important part of the UK’s transition towards electric vehicles.
The regulations recognised that charging infrastructure needs to grow alongside the number of EVs on the road. By incorporating charging into new developments, the Government aimed to make it easier for future homeowners to charge an electric vehicle at home.
The continued rollout of electric car chargers will therefore be an important part of supporting the UK’s growing electric vehicle fleet.
However, new-build charging alone could not solve every infrastructure challenge. Millions of people live in existing homes, while many households do not have private driveways or dedicated parking spaces.
That means the expansion of public charging networks remains just as important as installing electric car chargers in new developments.
For motorists considering the wider choice between petrol, diesel and electric vehicles, our guide to Petrol vs Diesel vs Electric looks at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of powertrain.
The move towards electrification is therefore about more than simply changing the cars people drive. It also requires investment in the infrastructure that supports them.
As the number of electric vehicles continues to grow, making charging convenient, accessible and fairly distributed will be essential to ensuring that the transition works for drivers across the UK.
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