thejapannews– Beginning in 2022, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be required in all new homes and businesses in the UK, the British government announced today.
The new measure aims to encourage EV adoption around the country, adding up to 145,000 extra charging points per year.
“This will mean people can buy new properties already ready for an electric vehicle future, while ensuring charge points are readily available at new shops and workplaces across the UK, making it as easy as refueling a petrol or diesel car today,” the UK government said in a press release.
The government has already backed the installation of over 250,000 charging points, so the new rules would increase that number by over 50 percent in the first year alone.
The law includes requiring charging stations be installed in buildings, such as supermarkets and workplaces, along with large scale renovations with more than 10 parking spaces. However, details of the rules, such as specifications and power outputs, have yet to be confirmed.
London and the southeast section of the country have more charging stations than the rest of England and Wales combined, yet the new law will not help, the opposition Labour Party claimed, noting that it does not include any provisions that will make EVs more affordable for lower and middle-class families, reported the BBC.
The UK government aims to completely ban the sale of fossil fuel cars ten years earlier than planned, by 2030, and previously stated it would spend some $660 million to build the country’s EV charging infrastructure.
