New rules around UK driveways are “removing barriers” to electric car ownership for motorists, according to experts. Until now, electric car owners without access to their own driveway or off-street parking bay have not been able to benefit from cheaper domestic charging rates.
This has forced many to top up at public charging bays where VAT fees sit at 20%, putting costs close to 50p per kWh. In comparison, those topping up their batteries at home can benefit from 0% VAT, with bills closer to 7p per kWh.
Pavement gullies cut charging costs
Labour’s decision to axe red tape for cross-pavement solution measures, such as pavement gullies, could slash costs in a boost for road users on the fence about making the transition. Pavement gullies allow individuals to run a cable under their footpath, connecting a vehicle parked outside their home to a mains supply, with road users able to benefit from cheaper domestic rates.
Motorpoint’s resident EV expert, Mike Vousden, stressed that new cross-pavement methods were a game-changer and would help more motorists make the switch to electric models.
Mike said: “Some drivers are concerned that charging at home is expensive or complicated, but it’s much cheaper than refuelling with petrol and there are grants and support available to help with installation. Government grants and more recent plans to introduce cross-pavement charging for people without a driveway are helping to remove barriers to EV ownership. If we see more progress like this, it'll help motorists feel more confident switching to an EV.”
Drivers open to electric switch
According to a poll from Motorpoint of 2,000 drivers, almost a quarter (23%) said they’d be more likely to go electric if installing a home charger was easier. Meanwhile, more than a fifth of motorists (22%) said they would be more likely to drive an electric car if their property already had a charger installed.
At the same time, just over a quarter (26%) of road users said the cost of installing a charger puts them off switching altogether.
Mike added: “As well as more initiatives, it looks like people would benefit from more awareness of the support that’s already available to go electric. We could see adoption grow faster if drivers had easier access to information on EV charging.”
