Plugging in to the future: electric vehicle charging and new homes

Plugging into the future

From the end of this decade, the UK Government will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans and as a result there will be a rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles (EV) needing to be charged.  The infrastructure required to support this transition is significant. For example, it is estimated that the UK needs 4.1 million EV chargepoints by 2030, from a figure of 182,000 chargepoints in 2019.

In 2019, the Department of Transport launched a consultation on facilitating charging to new homes and buildings undergoing refurbishment with the intention of introducing a new approved document in England. The new regulations (provisionally to be known as Part S) are expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2021, to come into force in 2022.  In 2020 the Welsh Senedd published an Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy confirming similar intentions.  In 2021 the Scottish Government started consultation on EV charging infrastructure, again with the intention of including in the Building Standards.  It is expected similar regulations will also be brought forward in Northern Ireland.

Plugging in to the future: electric vehicle charging and new homes (NF90) provides guidance on the current state of play with electric vehicles and chargepoints and what house builders will need to provide either within the curtilage of a single dwelling or where the development has off-plot or shared parking. The report considers the safety aspects of installation and provides a comprehensive list of standards to be consulted, it also stresses the importance of early engagement with the relevant Distribution Network Operator to ensure there is sufficient electrical capacity to the development site.  The report finishes off with a look to the future, which, based on recent experience, may be sooner than expected.