Your Title: Our Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging Points?

By 2030, sales of all new petrol and diesel cars will end in a bid to help the UK reduce its impact on climate change

As part of these plans, there will need to be a wider range of EV charging points in the UK. The rapid expansion of charging points for electric cars in UK locations is crucial to support the growing number of electric vehicles on the road. While many people are concerned that there aren’t enough charging points in convenient locations, the UK government is providing grants to homeowners, businesses, and local authorities to install more charging points. This means that a driver is never more than 25 miles from a rapid charge point in England, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also launching EV charging strategies.

With EV charging set to be a big part of the future – do you know enough about electric vehicle charging points? Fortunately, phs Compliance has all the info you need. Take a look at our ultimate guide to EV charging points.

Benefits of electric cars

There’s no denying the benefits of electric cars. Some of their main benefits versus diesel or petrol cars include:

• They help reduce carbon emissions.

• They are more affordable to power than petrol or diesel vehicles.

• They are quieter to drive.

• They provide an excellent driving experience.

• There are government incentives available to reduce their operating costs (including Road Tax exemption until 2025).

What is an electric vehicle charging point?

An electric vehicle (EV) charging point, also known as an EV charging station, uses electricity from an electric grid to charge pure and hybrid electric cars and vans, including popular models such as the Hyundai Kona, the Nissan Leaf, the Kia Niro, the Renault Zoe and Tesla electric cars, amongst many others.

Hybrid electric cars, which derive some of their power from a conventional engine, are sometimes referred to as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)..

W​here to find electric car vehicle charging points

There are EV charging points located across the UK, including over 44,020 public electric vehicle charging devices as of July 2023. Some of the places you can find an EV charging point include:  

Electric car charging at work

Charging at work is convenient for employees with access to workplace charging stations. It can help extend an EV's daily range and shows that employers care about creating a greener workplace. Providing electric charging points is a great way to provide facilities for your employees to use EVs, and could also be beneficial for your own fleet, should you decide to make the move to EVs.

Retail locations or hotels with electric car charging points

Many retail locations, including supermarkets, retail parks and leisure facilities like gyms and hotels have EV charging points. This makes it easy for people to charge their vehicles when carrying out common errands. Many of these locations offer free charging, providing an even bigger incentive to own an EV.

Electric car charging at home

Installing an EV charging point at home is one of the simplest ways to charge an electric vehicle. They are generally slower to provide a full charge, designed to charge a vehicle overnight to keep the battery levels topped up.

EV charging at motorway services and petrol stations

Motorway services and petrol stations provide EV charging points in the same way they provide fuel for petrol and diesel cars. They generally provide a range of charger types, including rapid charging to help drivers charge their vehicles and get back on the road quickly.

How do I install an electric vehicle charging point?

You should always use an installer who has been fully approved and accredited by the UK’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, also known as the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), to install an EV charging point, either at the workplace or at home.

As well as being accredited by OLEV, EMI Services Ltd Compliance’s electrical engineers are trained to C&G 2919-01, approved to IET Code of Practice (incorporating BS 7671:2018) and trained fully to IET Wiring Regulations, meaning they will install, inspect and test charging equipment for pure and hybrid electric vehicles to the highest standards in the UK.

Are grants available to cover the costs of installing electric vehicle charging points?

Yes, the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides businesses with vouchers that contribute up to 75% of the up-front costs of purchasing and installing electric vehicle charging points, up to the value of £350 per socket for a maximum of 40 sockets, using an OLEV approved installer. You can apply for vouchers here.

Domestic grants for electric vehicle charging point installations are also available and are provided by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (also known as the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) in England and Wales, and the Energy Saving Trust (EST) in Scotland.

I​s the OZEV grant ending?

The Office of Zero Emission Vehicles providesgrants to help encourage the use of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The scheme supports businesses, landlords and others to install vehicle charging points for both domestic properties, workplaces, public places and more. The new scheme replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) on 1 April 2022.

To learn more about electrical vehicle charging points, to get a quote, or simply to ask a query, please feel free to contact us now!