UK to require new homes to have EV charging points starting from 2022, PM Johnson says

• Adequate charging options will be crucial to reach the 2035 EV goal

• Major economies and companies are investing in developing and rolling out low and zero emission vehicles at scale

UK Prime Minister on Monday said new homes in England will be required to have charging points for electric cars, a major step towards normalizing and boosting EVs in the country.

The new building regulations require new homes and non-residential buildings and those undergoing a major renovation with over ten parking spaces to install EV charge points from 2022 while creating additional green jobs.

During a speech at the Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there will be “up to 145,000 extra charge points will be installed across England each year thanks to these regulations.”

“This will mean people can buy new properties already ready for an electric vehicle future while ensuring charge points are readily available at new shops and workplaces across the UK — making it as easy as refueling a petrol or diesel car today,” he said.

UK’s plan to push EV

The plan to develop and expand charging infrastructure comes as the UK copes with its target of stopping new diesel and petrol vehicles sales from 2030. The nation also pledged to have zero tailpipe emissions from 2035 at COP26.

Also Read: COP26: Long way ahead for zero-emission vehicles despite national leaders’ pledge for EV push

Adequate charging options will be necessary to boost the overall EV sales in the country, and the government has already backed the installation of over 250,000 charging points.

However, Britain’s opposition Labour party noted that London and the southeast part of the country have more charging points “than the rest of England and Wales combined,” and the new law doesn’t help in that regard, the BBC reported.

2035 EV pledge at COP26

On the COP26 climate summit, November 10 was dedicated as “Transport Day” for discussions on how to zero out pollution from some of the world’s dirtiest sources, including cars, trucks, ships, and two- and two- and three-wheelers and planes.

Also Read: Convening for a greener future - COP26 and its relevance

On that day, signatories to a declaration that included national governments, businesses, and investors said they would “work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero-emission globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets.”

Signatories included the UK, Indian and Canadian governments and major automotive firms such as Ford, General Motors, and Volvo Cars.

However, the U.S., China, and carmakers, including Volkswagen and Toyota, were absent from the declaration.

Picture Credit: FT