5 ms·

England will be first country to require new homes to include EV chargers

41 points by finphil 5y ago

danielfoster 5y ago
What if the new home owner doesn't want a car? The UK already has too many regulations and I don't think this will have as much impact as expected. Electric cars are already taking off on their own. Adding charging ports to homes won't solve the number-one reason people have not gone electric-- charging availabilty for long distance trips. This won't solve that problem (though combining it with an Uber-like service for renting these chargers out might).
- baybal2 5y ago
  Same as for people who live in apartment buildings with mandatory parking spots which nobody use: they will have to be rented out at extreme discount at buyer's expense.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  This requirement should cost the homeowner no more than a few pounds per month in their mortgage.
  - tonyedgecombe 5y ago
    It probably won't even cost that. There is a shortage of land so the only constraint on price is what people are able to spend. Any increases in the cost of building will fall on the person selling the land rather than home owners.
- thebruce87m 5y ago
  Well. One type of long distance trip might be visiting relatives - if they have a charging point as a result of this then great.
- tonyedgecombe 5y ago
  >The UK already has too many regulations Too few when it comes to house building, our standards are well behind the rest of Europe.
toomuchtodo 5y ago
This is tremendous. The cost is trivial at build but expensive to retrofit. Smart policy that should be replicated elsewhere.
- exmadscientist 5y ago
  And the best part is, a powerful electric socket can be useful for people who don't have or want EVs. Smart move all around.
Proven 5y ago
Central planning at its finest. People who don't own a car could use that money to buy something useful.
yumraj 5y ago
Not an electrician but I think the bigger issue is appropriate electrical outlet, say 220V in US homes. So I think even just having/mandating that, just like they do for electrical dryers today, would be huge win so that 1) attaching a new charger becomes trivial 2) you’re not limited in case new chargers/standards come in future. But overall a step in the right direction.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  In US homes, you would want a 90A 220V circuit mandated to terminate in the garage or wherever the vehicle is stored. This provides for 72A usable after required 20% NEC derating, and although current EVs max out at about 48A (on 60A circuits), this allows for vehicles like the F150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck that might have higher onboard inverter support, as they are going to have large batteries to fill.
  - 0x000000001 5y ago
    That's what I did -- ran the circuit for 90A load but have it limited to 45A via a 60A breaker.
  - b0tzzzzzzman 5y ago
    My whole house is a 100amp hookup. Its unreal to think what the costs for new lines being ran from the pole to house could add upto. Aside from that, its a rental property with no garage. And since I have sat by for the last two years with the dream of owning a house becoming more of a pipe dream by the week. I find the discussion of morality and ethics of this repugnant. As I understand it, much of the costs of soaring homeprices (in all respects) are due to mostly erroneous changes to building codes, zoning laws, municipal differences, and so much other red tape. Overall, I still see these properties being put up overnight if you will, and am left wondering (specifically in the US) how much care or cost was put into extending the life of properties by building them well. I know Europe has a much better understanding of the benefits this has overall. I wish it were true in the states.
- tomatotomato37 5y ago
karateka 5y ago
There is a similar policy being debated by the city council in Auckland, New Zealand. Parking spaces for new builds either need to have electric car chargers or have power run to the parking space so that it can be upgraded with a easily. The minimum number of car parking spaces which were previously mandated are also being removed.

41 points by finphil 5y ago

What if the new home owner doesn't want a car? The UK already has too many regulations and I don't think this will have as much impact as expected. Electric cars are already taking off on their own. Adding charging ports to homes won't solve the number-one reason people have not gone electric-- charging availabilty for long distance trips. This won't solve that problem (though combining it with an Uber-like service for renting these chargers out might).

baybal2 5y ago
Same as for people who live in apartment buildings with mandatory parking spots which nobody use: they will have to be rented out at extreme discount at buyer's expense.
toomuchtodo 5y ago
This requirement should cost the homeowner no more than a few pounds per month in their mortgage.
- tonyedgecombe 5y ago
  It probably won't even cost that. There is a shortage of land so the only constraint on price is what people are able to spend. Any increases in the cost of building will fall on the person selling the land rather than home owners.
thebruce87m 5y ago
Well. One type of long distance trip might be visiting relatives - if they have a charging point as a result of this then great.
tonyedgecombe 5y ago
>The UK already has too many regulations Too few when it comes to house building, our standards are well behind the rest of Europe.

toomuchtodo 5y ago

This is tremendous. The cost is trivial at build but expensive to retrofit. Smart policy that should be replicated elsewhere.

exmadscientist 5y ago
And the best part is, a powerful electric socket can be useful for people who don't have or want EVs. Smart move all around.

Proven 5y ago

Central planning at its finest. People who don't own a car could use that money to buy something useful.

yumraj 5y ago

Not an electrician but I think the bigger issue is appropriate electrical outlet, say 220V in US homes. So I think even just having/mandating that, just like they do for electrical dryers today, would be huge win so that 1) attaching a new charger becomes trivial 2) you’re not limited in case new chargers/standards come in future. But overall a step in the right direction.

toomuchtodo 5y ago
In US homes, you would want a 90A 220V circuit mandated to terminate in the garage or wherever the vehicle is stored. This provides for 72A usable after required 20% NEC derating, and although current EVs max out at about 48A (on 60A circuits), this allows for vehicles like the F150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck that might have higher onboard inverter support, as they are going to have large batteries to fill.
- 0x000000001 5y ago
  That's what I did -- ran the circuit for 90A load but have it limited to 45A via a 60A breaker.
- b0tzzzzzzman 5y ago
  My whole house is a 100amp hookup. Its unreal to think what the costs for new lines being ran from the pole to house could add upto. Aside from that, its a rental property with no garage. And since I have sat by for the last two years with the dream of owning a house becoming more of a pipe dream by the week. I find the discussion of morality and ethics of this repugnant. As I understand it, much of the costs of soaring homeprices (in all respects) are due to mostly erroneous changes to building codes, zoning laws, municipal differences, and so much other red tape. Overall, I still see these properties being put up overnight if you will, and am left wondering (specifically in the US) how much care or cost was put into extending the life of properties by building them well. I know Europe has a much better understanding of the benefits this has overall. I wish it were true in the states.
tomatotomato37 5y ago

karateka 5y ago

There is a similar policy being debated by the city council in Auckland, New Zealand. Parking spaces for new builds either need to have electric car chargers or have power run to the parking space so that it can be upgraded with a easily. The minimum number of car parking spaces which were previously mandated are also being removed.