"It makes total economic and environmental sense to ensure that all new buildings and renovated properties... have electric charging points "
As part of the Department for Transport's ambition to see at least half of new cars to be ultra low emission by 2030, it would become mandatory for all new houses, flats and office buildings to come with external charging point installations.
As well as a push for chargepoints to be installed in newly built homes, the government is considering providing up to £500 for electric vehicle owners to put in a charge point in their home through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.
Craig Bonthron, manager of the Kames Global Sustainable Equity fund, commented: “This is one of the most encouraging and progressive government policy announcements around tackling climate change that I have seen in recent years. Electric vehicle adoption could be meaningfully catalysed by these ideas and policies. It makes total economic and environmental sense to ensure that all new buildings and renovated properties - including residential, office, hotel, industrial and retail - have electric charging points designed within them. It is also much cheaper and efficient to do it this way than to retro-fit subsequently.
“We also need to take advantage of new technologies and roll out solutions like lamp post charging to help those who don’t have off-street parking, in order to allow UK consumers to adopt electric vehicles with confidence. Given the falling prices of electric vehicles and the broad range of new options due to be launched over the next three years, it is vital that people have access to charging at home, at work and when travelling longer distances. Needless to say, it is also a matter of urgency for the environment too.”
