The Government have today announced new plans designed to make the transition fairer for electric car owners who rent their homes and for those without private driveways.
The proposed reforms would streamline the installation of electric vehicle chargers by mandating chargepoints in new covered car parks and removing planning permission currently required for discreet cross-pavement charging gullies.
The changes aim to give more households access to domestic electricity rates, enabling families to run their electric vehicles for as little as 2p per mile – the equivalent of traveling from London to Birmingham for just £2.50.
Under the plans, the Government will consider cutting red tape for drivers without driveways, speeding up applications and saving them up to £250 in application fees. The reforms would particularly benefit renters and leaseholders who currently face barriers to installing home charging infrastructure.
The Government will also work with energy regulator Ofgem to ensure public charging costs remain fair and strengthen protections against landowners overcharging tenants for home charging above market rates. Additionally, efforts will focus on ensuring operators provide high-quality, rapid connections for public charging to support the ongoing network rollout.
The commitment builds on the £650 million Electric Car Grant launched earlier this year, which offers discounts of up to £3,750 on 39 car models and has already helped more than 25,000 drivers switch to electric vehicles. In July, a £25 million scheme was announced to support local authorities in providing cross-pavement charging solutions for residents without driveways.
The UK leads Europe’s electric vehicle market after ranking first in 2024, with sales up nearly a third this year. With 86,021 chargers currently available nationwide, the Government is investing £381 million to roll out more than 100,000 additional local public chargers across England.
The Government will shortly launch a consultation on the package, enabling industry stakeholders to inform how the reforms can best be implemented.
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