DfT acts to help dealerships install EV chargers more quickly

Dealerships should be able to make their sites EV-ready more easily as the UK Government has announced that businesses no longer must submit planning applications to install electric vehicle charge points.

With planning changes applying to private workplace and public charge points, businesses will be able to install new sockets faster and for less, says the Government.

Lilian Greenwood, future of roads minister at the Department of Transport, confirmed the new rules will take effect immediately to help support the uptake of electric vehicles, by removing red tape for businesses.

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 charge points to power from and less red tape to deal with.”

The measure has been welcomed by motoring bodies. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “With a target of 300,000 publicly available chargers by 2030, Government should be doing all it can to help reach this milestone. Removing the planning rules is a positive step and will help accelerate installations. 

"The crucial element is ensuring grid connection in a timely manner. This is especially important in rural locations and areas where there is no dedicated off-street parking."

Dealer group leaders have previously told Automotive Management that it is the grid connection that can cause the most significant delay when they are installing a number of direct current (DC) rapid chargers which are necessary for them to sell and service significant volumes of EVs. Once the chargers and infrastructure are installed, often there is a wait for the distribution network operator to switch on the power to it.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), part of the DfT, noted in a December 2024 policy paper that "Over recent years connections to the electricity grid have increasingly become a barrier to the deployment of EV charging infrastructure. More generally, the electricity network needs to be transformed at an unprecedented scale and pace  to accommodate both new low carbon generation and increasing demand, including from EV charging."

The good news for dealership staff handling EV-curious customers is that the UK public charge point network continues to grow. Recent data showed that the number of public electric vehicle charging devices grew by 28% in the past year, with almost 17,000 charge points added to the UK network since April 2024.

There were 76,507 public electric vehicle charging devices installed in the UK as of April 1, and one-in-five (15,446) delivered 50kW of power or above, which makes topping up the battery on longer journeys relatively easy.

Government support under the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant currently allows people renting or owning a flat and those households with on-street parking to receive up to £350 off the cost of installing a 'cross-pavement' charging solution.

The DfT said that for drivers the benefits of EVs are clear: running an EV can cost as little as 2 pence per mile; EVs are constantly becoming cheaper, with 2 in 5 used EVs now under £20,000 and 29 brand new models priced under £30,000; and most newly launched EVs have an official WLTP range of nearly 300 miles.