U.K. To Require EV Charge Points With New Construction Projects

From 25,000 charging stations to 145,000 by 2030.

By: Dustin Wheelen

Dec 22, 2021 at 12:29pm ET

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The United Kingdom has ambitious emissions goals, to say the least. In winter 2020, the U.K. government accelerated its ban on sales of internal combustion engines from 2040 to 2030. However, the U.K. also needs electric cars, motorcycles, and scooters to displace their gas-powered counterparts, and an influx of those vehicles will require more charging stations.

The U.K. only tallies 25,000 public charging terminals as of today. In order to meet its goal of installing 145,000 charge points by 2030, the Boris Johnson administration is enacting requirements for all housing, workplace, and retail construction projects to equip private parking stalls with electric charging modules.

Of course, the bill may be a suitable solution to reaching the U.K.’s lofty targets, but the requirement also forces owners to incur added costs without any incentives. While the move seems like the government offloading infrastructure projects onto developers, the step aligns with the U.K.’s recent approach to the transition to electric.

On December 15, 2021, the government abruptly slashed incentives for electric motorbike and scooter customers. The shift erased the 20-percent subsidy up to £1,500 (~$1,985 USD) on any electric model to a 35-percent discount up to £500 (~$660 USD) on motorcycles and a 35-percent price reduction but only up to £150 (~$200 USD) on mopeds. The new incentives guidelines also exclude any electric motorcycle or moped priced over £10,000.

Compared to the rest Europe, the U.K.’s charging station total lags behind the Netherlands, France, and Germany, which makes up 70 percent of the charging terminals in the region. To put the situation into perspective, France currently has 45,751 charge points compared to the U.K.’s 25,000. However, France also aims to install 200,000 stations by 2024. The U.K. may have found a way to get private citizens to contribute to the electric charging infrastructure but only time will tell if the move will help them reach 145,000 charge points in eight years’ time.