New Building Regulation Requirements for Electric Vehicle Charging Points

In September 2022, 1 in 10 new car sales in the UK were electric vehicles (EVs), with an estimated 477,000 electric cars on the road and more than 790,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs)[1].

Electric car market

The EV market is expected to continue its rapid growth in the coming years as the UK prepares itself for the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales.

As part of this drive, ‘Part S - Infrastructure for charging electric vehicles’ has been introduced to the Building Regulations 2010, requiring the installation of EV charging points in the following circumstances:

• New residential homes - each home with onsite parking must have its own charging point.
• New residential buildings with parking in a covered car park – each dwelling with a parking space must have a charging point.
• Buildings converted for residential use and which have a car park – each dwelling with a parking space must have a charging point.
• Residential buildings undergoing major renovation work which will have more than 10 parking spaces – each dwelling must have one charging point and all other parking spaces cable routes.
• New non-residential buildings with more than 10 parking spaces – must have a minimum of 1 charging point and cable routes for at least 20% of the remaining spaces.
• Mixed-use buildings - the requirements for residential buildings above and non-residential buildings above apply. Calculations are required based on the number of parking spaces designated for use by the respective classes of occupant.

What does the new legislation mean for property developers?

The new requirements came into force in June 2022, and it is anticipated that 145,000 charge points across England will be installed every year because of the new regulations.

Developers will now have to consider various issues at an early stage in their development design, such as the requirement to provide charging points and where the charging points and infrastructure will be located. Thought will also have to be given to separately metering the electricity supply along with the repair and maintenance obligations and the imposition of rules and regulations regarding the use of and payment for charging points.

Navigating the requirements of the regulations can be tricky. Appropriate professional advice should be sought at an early stage of the development or renovation to ensure clarity over your EV charging infrastructure obligations.

If you would like to view the requirements in full, you can read the document on infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles here. 

  [1] (Source: DfT, SMMT)