Vauxhall's plan to accelerate residential on-street EV charging

author: FutureCar Staff    

Vauxhall has launched an initiative called the 'Electric Streets of Britain' program to address the lack of residential on-street EV charging options. According to a freedom of information request made by Vauxhall, seven out of ten local authorities in the UK do not have a 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 approached. The findings revealed that 69% of them have not installed any on-street chargers, and 45% do not have plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.

In response to these findings, Vauxhall has created the 'Electric Streets of Britain' program to ensure that homes without driveways are not left behind in the transition to zero-emission motoring. They have set up a national database at www.electricstreets.co.uk for the public to register their needs, allowing councils to better understand the demand for on-street charging. Vauxhall is also working with charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb, and SureCharge to establish an 'Enablement Fund' that helps councils understand the scale of on-street charging issues and available solutions.

The importance of on-street charging is highlighted by the fact that 80% of all EV charging is done at home. In urban areas, where the percentage of homes without off-street parking rises to 60%, on-street charging becomes even more crucial. Vauxhall suggests solutions such as lamp post chargers and pavement-mounted bollards, which can be installed quickly and easily.

James Taylor, Managing Director of Vauxhall, emphasizes the need for accessible charge points near homes, stating that it is critical to the transition to electric vehicle ownership in the UK. He hopes to bring together the needs and interests of the public, councils, and charging operators to ensure that everyone without a driveway can be part of the journey towards electric vehicles. Vauxhall aims to educate decision-makers and facilitate the installation of more chargers at a faster pace.

On-street charging not only benefits private motorists but also supports businesses in going electric. An estimated four in ten company-owned electric vans are charged at home by employees. Therefore, the widespread availability of charge points will enable van drivers to conveniently charge both at home and at destination chargers when attending residential jobs.

FutureCar Staff