New buildings in England could soon be obliged to have chargers for electric vehicles, making it the first country in the world with such a requirement.
The UK has already committed to ending the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles before 2030, but concerns have previously been raised about the country’s infrastructure to achieve such a goal. To that end, the British Government is going to introduce legislation that requires new-build houses and offices to have charging ports for electric vehicles.
According to Electrek, the legislation will demand that new homes and offices must feature smart charging devices that can automatically charge cars during off-peak time periods for the National Grid, while the new office blocks will specifically have to offer a charging port for every five parking spaces.
The change was first proposed back in 2019, but the law is set to pass before the end of this year, and will likely come into force in 2022.
On top of that, the Government also launched a new app to encourage more citizens to make the switch to electric vehicles. Named EV8 Switch, the app “calculates how much money UK drivers could save by switching to an EV compared to their current petrol or diesel vehicle, along with details on the carbon dioxide (CO2) savings and air quality improvements they could achieve.”
Speaking about the initiatives, the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “This World EV Day, I want to not only provide easy access to the tools that people need to feel confident about making the switch, but also to make sure that chargepoints are accessible, affordable and recognisable.”
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