New car rule for driveways in England could save you more than £1,000

More drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private car chargepoints.

The change, announced by the Department for Transport on Thursday, will save up to £1,100 a year as the Government cuts red tape to make it easier than ever to install electric vehicle (EV) sockets.

Around 20-25% driveways - approximately three million - still required a planning request for an EV chargepoint, according to DfT estimates. Every driveway will now be able to get a charge point without submitting a planning permission submission, which can sometimes take as long as nine months.

The announcement comes on top of already significant discounts from Government to help drivers install chargepoints outside their house. Support currently allows people renting or owning a flat, and those with on-street parking, to receive up to £350 off the cost of installing a home charger.

It also follows some 18,600 sockets having been installed in workplace carparks in the last year alone. Official statistics show that a record of nearly 3,000 public charging devices were added in April alone – with one popping up every 29 minutes.

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Nearly 80,000 public EV chargepoints are now available in the UK. Ministers said getting the EV transition right and supporting the growth of the electric vehicle market in the UK "will enable Britain to tap into a multibillion-pound industry".

For drivers, running an EV can cost as little as 2p per mile. And buying one is also cheaper, with two in five used EVs now under £20,000, and 29 brand new models priced under £30,000. Most new EVs have a range of nearly 300 miles – enough to get from London to Newcastle on one charge.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “We’re cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution, so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from, and less red tape to deal with.

“We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3bn to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals - creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future as part of our Plan for Change.”

Lewis Gardiner, Operations Director, Osprey Charging Network, said: "This is a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground.

“Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs, and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.

"It’s the result of months of collaboration between industry and Government, and we’re proud to have played a key role in making it happen."

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Chief Property and Procurement Officer and MD of Smart Charge, said: “Everyone at Smart Charge knows how important it is to make EV charging simple, reliable and accessible – both to make transport cleaner and to ensure we’re meeting the everyday needs of drivers throughout the UK.

“We welcome this new streamlined approach to installing charge points, which will help accelerate the nation's adoption of EVs."

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