New UK Homes Will Be Required to Have EV Chargers Starting in 2022

The legislation follows a planned ban on the sale of new gas cars, which is set for 2030

Electric car being charged outside home. New homes and businesses will need ports for charging EVs starting next year in the UK.
New homes and businesses will need ports for charging EVs starting next year in the UK.
Peter Cade / Getty

The best way to get people into the idea of electric vehicles? Make sure they can charge ’em at home.

The U.K. announced this week that electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be required for new homes and businesses starting in 2022, as reported by Engadget. The businesses include supermarkets, workplaces and buildings undergoing larger renovations.

In a press release, the government noted, “Up to 145,000 extra charge points will be installed across England each year thanks to these regulations, in the run up to 2030 when the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end in the UK. This builds on the over 250,000 home and workplace charge points the government has already supported to date.”

Their hope is to make charging your EV “as easy as refueling a petrol or diesel car today.”

Interestingly, it’s the opposition Labour Party that’s raised some concerns about the new legislation, noting, “London and the South East have more public car charging points than the rest of England and Wales combined. Yet there is nothing here to help address this.” As well, the party suggests that the legislation fails to address the needs of lower- and middle-income families who can’t necessarily afford electric vehicles; they also raise concerns about the lack of detail on the infrastructure investment required.

While those details are very important, it’s interesting that the Conservative government is leading the (pun intended) charge here on EVs; the U.K. also aims to ban the sale of fossil fuel cars by 2030.

“This is a pivotal moment – we cannot go on as we are,” said Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a speech. “We have to adapt our economy to the green industrial revolution.”

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