UK Prime Minister has announced new legislation requiring new builds to install electric vehicle charge points.

On Monday 22nd November, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced that under the new legislation, new buildings, including major renovation, will be required to install electric vehicle charge points from 2022.

Under the new regulations, the Government estimate that up to 145,000 new charge points can be installed across the UK each year. The legislation will accelerate the UK’s lead in EVs (Electric Vehicles) and set a worldwide standard.

The legislation will assist in the run-up to the end of new petrol and diesel car sales in the UK by 2030. This also builds on the over 250,000 charge points for homes and workplaces that have already been supported by Government schemes.

A crucial factor for a nationwide transition to EVs is accessibility. One of the largest reasons people do not switch to electricity is range anxiety. This is when the charge on a battery gets low, but the driver has to plan their stops to ensure they get to an EV charge point. With the increase of EV charge points, this will be eliminated.

New build buyers will also have the additional incentive to switch to electricity as their homes will already support a charge point ready to use, making their experience easier.

In addition to new builds, existing buildings undergoing a largescale renovation will also be required to install charge points where there are 10 available parking spaces.

The EV industry has also consulted the Government on how to make it easier and simpler for drivers to switch to electricity. This includes simpler ways to pay, such as using contactless cards at new charge points.

The Prime Minister addressed at the CBI conference and announced how the UK can have a first-mover advantage in net-zero from electric vehicles to clean power if the public and private sectors work together on net-zero opportunities.

Boris Johnson said:

“This is a pivotal moment – we cannot go on as we are. We have to adapt our economy to the green industrial revolution.

We have to use our massive investment in science and technology and we have to raise our productivity and then we have to get out of your way.

We must regulate less or better and take advantage of new freedoms.”

These regulations come alongside Innovate UK’s 3-year programme of £150 million in innovation loans to help British SMEs grow, create high-skilled jobs and commercialise R&D innovations. These will be available to a range of sectors, while green businesses can benefit from the loans early next year.

The UK Government also confirmed a near £10 million first-of-a-kind hydrogen project at the UK’s largest onshore wind farm near Glasgow. The project aims to develop the UK’s largest electrolyser to convert water into hydrogen for storage and zero-carbon fuel for local transport providers.