Home EV charger grant extended to those without off-street parking
The government has now extended its £350 EV charger grant to those with “adequate” on-road parking, but there remains no electric car purchase incentive for private buyers
The Department for Transport has announced that the EV chargepoint grant has now been extended to those owning a property with on-road parking.
For a long time, this was restricted only to those who owned or rented a property with a dedicated off-road parking space. However, the latest guidelines published by the DfT as part of the Government’s new ‘Plan for Drivers’ extends the grant to those who have access to “adequate” on-street parking.
While there is still no incentive for private EV buyers after the Plug-in Car Grant was axed in 2022, the EV Chargepoint Grant at least provides owners with up to 75% of the cost of buying and installing a home charger, up to a maximum of £350.
One can apply for the chargepoint grant via the gov.uk website, however, applicants must own or be the primary driver of an electric car, or have one on order. They should also seek approval from their landlord (if applicable) as well as the local council before their grant is authorised. Landlords can apply for the grant, too.
While this new plan certainly looks appealing, many wallbox chargers will still set you back as much as £1,000 to buy and install so the costs remain significant. In addition, installing a cross pavement charging solution – a necessary prerequisite for approval – can cause costs to spiral even further.
This latest expansion of the EV chargepoint grant forms part of the Government’s £381 million investment into the UK’s charging infrastructure, which currently comprises 56,983 individual public charging points – a 43% increase over last year. A total of 44 councils have already signed up to the scheme, which is also set to fund the installation of public EV charge points in locations of the council’s choosing.
The Government’s plan has been overseen by the newly-formed Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Forum, which is currently chaired by AA boss, Edmund King OBE. King praised the latest news, saying: “[One]of the main reasons why many drivers are hesitant towards switching to EVs is the perception that there are not enough charging points.
“To give confidence to drivers now and for the future, we need to overcome these barriers, which will help unlock cleaner, greener motoring for all. Extending grants to those without off-street parking is a step in the right direction.”.
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