Boosting residential EV charging with Vauxhall initiative

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【Summary】Vauxhall has launched the 'Electric Streets of Britain' program to address the lack of residential on-street EV charging. A freedom of information request revealed that 70% of local authorities in the UK have no EV charging strategy for residential areas, and 40% of homes lack a driveway or garage for charging.

FutureCar Staff Aug 16, 2023 9:30 AM PT

Boosting residential EV charging with Vauxhall initiative

Vauxhall has launched the 'Electric Streets of Britain' initiative to address the lack of residential on-street EV charging infrastructure in the UK. A freedom of information request made by Vauxhall revealed that 70% of local authorities have no strategy in place for on-street EV charging. This poses a significant barrier to EV adoption, as 40% of homes in the UK do not have a driveway or garage for charging.

The FOI request received responses from 289 out of 414 UK councils and local authorities. It found that 69% of them have not installed any on-street chargers, and 45% have no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year. In response to these findings, Vauxhall aims to ensure that homes without driveways are not left behind in the transition to zero-emission motoring.

Vauxhall has created a national database at www.electricstreets.co.uk where the public can register their on-street charging needs. This will provide councils with a better understanding of the demand for on-street charging among existing and potential EV drivers. The company is working with charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb, and SureCharge to establish an 'Enablement Fund' that will help councils understand the scale of on-street charging issues and available solutions.

On-street charging is crucial because 80% of all EV charging is done at home. In urban areas, 60% of homes lack off-street parking. Vauxhall suggests solutions such as lamp post chargers, which can be installed and operational within 30 minutes, and pavement-mounted bollards. James Taylor, Managing Director of Vauxhall, emphasizes the importance of accessibility to charge points near homes and aims to involve the public, councils, and charging operators in expanding the charging infrastructure.

The benefits of on-street charging extend beyond private motorists. Around 40% of company-owned electric vans are charged at home by employees. Therefore, widespread availability of charge points will support businesses in transitioning to electric vehicles by enabling van drivers to conveniently charge at home and at destination chargers when attending residential jobs.