Boosting residential EV charging

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【Summary】Vauxhall has launched the 'Electric Streets of Britain' program to address the lack of on-street EV charging infrastructure. A freedom of information request revealed that 70% of local authorities have no strategy for residential on-street charging. As 40% of UK homes lack driveways or garages, this poses a barrier to EV adoption.

FutureCar Staff Aug 24, 2023 9:52 AM PT

Vauxhall has launched an initiative called 'Electric Streets of Britain' to address the lack of residential on-street EV charging infrastructure in the UK. According to a freedom of information request made by Vauxhall, 70% of local authorities do not have a strategy in place for on-street EV charging. This presents 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 revealed 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 need for on-street charging. This will help councils understand the demand for on-street charging among existing and potential EV drivers. Vauxhall is working with charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb, and SureCharge to establish an 'Enablement Fund' that will assist councils in understanding the scale of on-street charging issues and the available solutions.

On-street charging is crucial for EV adoption, as 80% of all EV charging is done at home. In urban areas, where 60% of homes lack off-street parking, the need for on-street charging is even greater. 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 collaborate with the public, councils, and charging operators to ensure that everyone without a driveway can be part of the electric vehicle journey. The initiative also benefits businesses, as an estimated four in 10 company-owned electric vans are charged at home by employees. Therefore, widespread availability of on-street charge points will support businesses in transitioning to electric vehicles.