Drivers without driveways are invited to share their experience of accessing affordable home charging in a new survey.

The national research from EVA England has launched to capture the real-world experiences of drivers without access to off-street parking and to help shape the next phase of delivery on fair access to home charging.

The survey follows significant recent progress in Parliament on tackling the UK’s growing ‘charging divide’ – the cost and access gap between drivers who can charge at home and those who must rely on public charging.

Baroness Pidgeon secured two key government commitments during the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in the House of Lords. The bill, which formally became law last week, now includes commitments on a formal consultation on extending permitted development rights to cross-pavement charging solutions, along with a commitment for ministers to write to all local authorities urging them to use their own highways contractors to install these technologies – measures intended to reduce both costs and delays for residents.

Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, said the commitments were an important step towards tackling the charging divide, but said “policy change only works if it reflects what is actually happening on our streets”.

The EVA England survey is about making sure drivers without driveways are heard as the Government takes these commitments forward.

“Cross-pavement charging won’t be right for everyone, but where it does work it can unlock access to cheaper charging, lower running costs and one less barrier to switching to electric. We want the Government and local authorities to get this right, and that starts with listening to drivers,” said Edmonds.

Electric vehicles are now firmly established as the future of road transport. EVA England’s annual driver survey shows that 95% of EV drivers would recommend electric driving to friends and family, citing cleaner air, easier driving and lower running costs. However, these benefits are not being felt equally.

More than nine in 10 EV drivers surveyed by EVA England have access to a driveway, and 87% of those drivers say their EV is cheaper to run than their previous petrol or diesel car.

But among drivers without a driveway, that figure drops to just 50%, largely because they are forced to rely on the public charging network for everyday charging. The average cost of charging at a slow or fast public charger is around 52p per kWh, rising to around 76p per kWh on rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. But drivers are able to charge at home using the domestic electricity price cap pay around 26p per kWh – and with smart tariffs, some drivers pay as little as 7p per kWh – saving EV drivers on average around £1,000 a year.

The Government’s Public Charging Review and steps taken by charge point operators to introduce discounted tariffs are ongoing.

But the cost of public charging currently remains significantly higher than domestic electricity. As a result, solutions such as cross-pavement charging and charge sharing, which enable drivers without driveways to access home-rate charging safely and legally, are an important part of the charging infrastructure mix.

Until recently, many local authorities were reluctant to consider cross-pavement solutions as part of their charging infrastructure mix. Drivers faced approval processes lasting up to 15 months and installation costs of up to £3,000, creating a significant barrier to switching to an EV.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes two key commitments to address these issues. Alongside this, the Government has launched a new £25m cross-pavement charging fund, increasing the number of authorities willing to trial these technologies and reducing installation costs further.

The survey is open to drivers who do not have access to off-street parking, those who currently rely on public charging, and residents who have installed – or attempted to install – a cross-pavement solution. Responses will be used to inform EVA England’s ongoing policy work and engagement with Government, local authorities and industry.

EVA England is encouraging anyone driving or considering an EV without a driveway, or anyone exploring cross-pavement charging, to take part and share their experience.

The survey is online here.

Image credit: Kerbo Charge