Housebuilders and developers hold the key to a cleaner future. 

It wasn’t long ago that electric cars were a figment of sci-fi movies and something for the distant future. When in fact, private registrations of pure-electric vehicles surged by 53.3% in 2020, according to the RAC.  

Nearly 30,000 more full EVs were sold to private buyers during the last 12 months than in the same period the year before. At the end of the period, 86,130 EVs were in private hands, while companies registered 86,387. 

With the government determined to stop emissions by 2050, keeping up momentum and speeding up the switch to electric vehicles is critical. 

To support their aims, the current government released groundbreaking plans for legislation that dictates all new homes in England must be built with charge points for EVs.  

Getting the UK set up for EV from an infrastructure perspective has been challenging and building regulations have never include an EV charger before, but the International Codes Council (ICC) is set to change these codes: 

Good to know: 

• Currently, there are over 35,000 charging points across the UK, stationed in 13,000 designated locations.  
• Unfortunately, most homes lack the equipment for convenient EV charging.  
• In the next 5 years, over 350,000 homes in the UK will have EV charging points installed. 

In 2019 the Government outlined:

• All new-build homes will be fitted with an electric car charge point.  
• ‘Smart’ charging to allow consumers to save money by charging EVs off-peak. 
• Each parking space at private residences will have at least one electric vehicle EV charging point. 
• The only new build properties that may exclude the inclusion of EV charge points are homes and apartments in busy central areas such as London. 

The new building codes will make England the first country to introduce mandatory charging points for EV vehicles in houses in the world.  

An excellent move for the country as a whole, but the new legislation presents new challenges for housebuilders and developers. And is a charge point in every home, regardless of whether its owner drives an EV, the right thing to do? 

It doesn’t seem an obvious choice at the moment. However, new homes are here for the long run, and we can see from research that homes that help residents lessen their carbon footprint are in high demand. A recent study found that over a fifth (22%) of the UK public want EV charging points in their next home. In fact, the respondents prized charging points above good transport links. 

How do housebuilders avoid common pitfalls?

Presently, EV charging tends to be an afterthought for builders, making it more expensive than it needs to be. 

We work with many housing developers who are beginning to recognise the implications on the housing sector. 

The key here is to plan. Start thinking about EV earlier (as early as the land acquisition stage); you will get a good idea of how much power (one of the biggest barriers) you require and the potential costs (the biggest barrier).  

Furthermore, if you liaise with a good charge point provider throughout the build process, you will ensure that EV charging is factored in the same way as other essential services like water, gas (and lighting). 

While it appears we’re in agreement regarding the increase in EV vehicles, the positives, and what is needed, plans are still in their infancy, even though consultations started in 2019.  

Naturally, like so many things, COVID 19 delayed progress, but the proposals and plans for including EV chargers in new builds are out there. All that’s left is effective implementation. The result will be the UK getting closer to a ‘zero-emissions country. 

We believe that housebuilders and developers are instrumental in supporting the adoption of electric motoring and securing a greener, cleaner future for us all. B

If you require support including EV within your street lighting columns, why not let us take a look alongside your Section 38 street lighting? 

Reference: 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/uk-electric-car-ownership-jumped-53-2020 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/electric-car-chargepoints-to-be-installed-in-all-future-homes-in-world-first 

https://www.jackson-stops.co.uk/articles/energy-efficient-homes-market-charged-with-demand 

https://www.build-review.com/ev-ready-new-homes-to-be-included-in-building-codes/