From June 15, 2022, all new homes and buildings such as supermarkets or workplaces built in England will need to be fitted with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Not only will this make it much easier for new home residents to operate an EV, but they will also have the option of renting their charger to help their neighborhood become greener and earn extra income.
“I live in a new property and was keen to run an electric vehicle,” said Alex Johnstone, an IT specialist from Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. “I have a Jaguar i-Pace, which I love. In my case, the property didn’t come with a charger, so I had to install my own. A lot of my neighbors live in apartments and terraces and can’t get a charger, so I rent mine through a community charging system called Co Charger. The application manages “matchmaking”, reservations and payments. I can choose the rental price and I gradually recover the installation costs of my charger. I have already helped 6 drivers recharge their EVs. I think it’s good news that the government is making EV chargers mandatory in new construction, as it will make it easier for residents to switch to an EV without having to pay the charger installation fee upfront. They will also have the option of renting it to their community, whether they use an electric vehicle or even have a car.
Joel Teague, CEO of Co Charger, a member of the Renewable Energy Association’s electric vehicle forum and an expert in the electric vehicle market, added that the new legislation will be ideal for residents of new construction who wish to use an electric vehicle. Co Charger, is a purpose-built EV charger sharing platform that connects them through their app which handles “matchmaking”, reservations and payments.
“But the reality is that some may prefer to stick with their petrol or diesel vehicle, choose not to have a car at all or perhaps even not have a driver’s licence,” Teague added. “In all these cases, the charger, which is an expensive piece of equipment, can remain dusty for years or even decades. Yet there are 14 million people in the UK who live in apartments and terraces, many of whom are desperate to get out of their fossil fuel vehicles but do not have access to their own charger or accessible public chargers and reliable. We need to focus on buying more public chargers, which are expensive to install and maintain, and making the most of household driveway chargers through neighborhood charger sharing. It is hoped that the new rules for EV chargers in new homes will lead to the installation of 145,000 additional charging stations each year. If only 10% of them were rented out to neighbours, that would mean 14,500 extra charging stations per year – without any extra holes being dug in the road or public money being spent.
Owners of EV chargers can become “hosts” by renting out their chargers to a few neighbors. The “recharged” are motorists who need a reservable, reliable and affordable recharge close to home.
Electricity prices increase dramatically, but by setting an appropriate price for charger rental above supply costs, the host can generate additional revenue. Prospective Hosts usually decide what to charge by evaluating their own overall costs and also checking what other local Hosts are charging. The host is always in control and can arrange to accept reservations only at times that are convenient for them, such as when they can park elsewhere or are at work. There’s no need to worry about having strangers in their driveway as the ‘loaded ones’ will be neighbors who mostly make regular reservations.
Community charging has the support of the government, which highlighted this in its report “Taking Charge: The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy”, in which it stated that “peer-to-peer charging (also known as community charging) will see many people making their private charging points available for hire.’ Councils such as Kent and Dorset flag Community Charge on their websites, and it is supported by key industry figures such as AA President Edmund King.
For more information :
Report “Taking Charge: The Infrastructure Strategy for Electric Vehicles”
Co Charger