Labour Government Faces Calls for New Electric Vehicle Charging Regulations
The Labour government is facing mounting pressure to introduce comprehensive new regulations that would transform electric vehicle charging accessibility for millions of UK households. This urgent call comes as a significant survey reveals that cross-pavement charging solutions are being systematically blocked by prohibitive costs and persistent council delays across the country.
The Growing Charging Divide
According to the detailed survey conducted by EVA England, a prominent electric vehicle advocacy organisation, a concerning charging divide is emerging between households with driveways and those without. The research highlights how current systems are preventing millions of residents from accessing affordable home charging solutions, despite existing technologies that could safely facilitate charging for vehicles parked on streets.
Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England, emphasised the frustration expressed by drivers nationwide. "Drivers are telling us the same thing again and again: the technology exists, the demand is there, but the system is getting in the way," she stated. "Cross-pavement charging could unlock affordable home charging for millions of households, yet too many drivers are stuck waiting, paying more, or putting off going electric entirely."
Barriers to Electric Vehicle Adoption
The organisation has specifically called upon the Labour government to take decisive action through current consultations, describing this as a real opportunity to remove one of the most frustrating and unnecessary barriers facing drivers today. Edmonds further explained that for drivers without driveways, cross-pavement charging represents genuine progress toward equitable access to electric vehicle infrastructure.
"Cross-pavement charging will not be right for everyone, but where it does work, it can mean access to cheaper charging, lower running costs, and one less barrier to switching to an EV," she noted. EVA England's recommendations include establishing clear national rules, reducing implementation costs, and providing better guidance for both local councils and residents to normalise this charging method across the UK.
Planning Permission Hurdles
Industry experts have echoed these concerns, with Michael Goulden, co-founder of Kerbo Charge, highlighting the bureaucratic obstacles currently hindering progress. "Removing the need for planning permission for a home charger when a resident already has local authority approval for a cross-pavement channel is common sense and vital for removing red tape for UK residents," he argued.
Supporting data from a separate survey of 2,800 drivers with on-street parking revealed that 43% would be completely deterred from purchasing an electric vehicle if planning permission for a charger remained mandatory. When scaled to the approximately 7 million terraced houses across the UK, this suggests around 3 million households might never transition to electric vehicles without legislative changes.
Toward an Inclusive Charging Landscape
The collective call from industry advocates centres on creating a more inclusive charging infrastructure that works for all drivers, regardless of driveway ownership. As the UK continues its transition toward electric vehicles, addressing these systemic barriers through government intervention and regulatory reform appears increasingly crucial to ensuring equitable access to sustainable transportation options nationwide.
