Most EV owners will charge their vehicle overnight in order to gain full power before venturing out. But what about EV owners who don’t have their own driveway? Roughly one third of households in the UK do not have off-street parking. Here’s some top tips from us at EVision if you think charging your EV could be difficult.
While this could seem to cause difficulties there are many ways to charge your EV. Remember the days before an electric car? When you had to drive to a fuel station to fill up with either petrol or diesel? Being without a home charger is exactly the same – except maybe easier!
If you’re thinking about hiring an EV it’s good to have your charging options thought out before you do.
EVision tip: Charging your EV at home without a driveway
Even if you don’t have a driveway with an EV charging point fitted, you are still able to charge your vehicle at home. Many people run their three pin charging cables onto the pavement to charge their EVs on the roadside.
While there are legally no restrictions on charging an electric vehicle on the road, the Highway Act does give local councils the authority to remove any cables that they believe are in unsafe locations.
If you have to charge your EV on the roadside, the best thing to do is to find a parking spot as close to your property or charging point as possible. You may need to order a longer charging cable or find a suitable, safe extension lead in order to reach your EV.
The most important thing to remember when charging your EV on the road is that there may be pedestrians passing your vehicle while it is charging. While it is not expected that EV owners wait with their vehicles for hours on end, it is sensible to make your charging cable visible.
You could use some brightly coloured cable protector which would keep the cable in place and make it more visible. The Local Government Association (LGA) advises that EV charging cables should only be placed over the pavement while the EV is charging and should be removed as soon as it is not in use.
Innovations such as the lamp post charger will revolutionise the game for your charging electric vehicle. These allow EV drivers to park on the roadside, ideally in front of their home, and charge their EV without any cable dragging along the path.
Whilst there are not many of these around yet, we imagine they will become more accessible as EVs increase in popularity. We are already seeing more local councils showing their support by installing increased EV charging points across the country.
EVision alternatives to charging at home
- Destination charging
The rise in public charging points mean charging on the go is easier than ever. If you aren’t able to charge your EV at home then be sure to take advantage of public charging points!
Apps such as ZapMap, direct you to all of the local charging stations in whatever local you are in. This means you can find the closest charging stations to your house, your work or your next destination.
While you may be considering using public charging points for a quick top up, they can also be handy for long charges. It’s a great idea to charge your EV on the go at locations where you are likely to be staying for a while. For example, most supermarkets and even some gyms now have charging stations! This means you can carry out your normal daily tasks and charge your EV at the same time.
There are now over 37,500 public EV charging points across the UK making it easier than ever to charge your EV while out and about! It’s also becoming easier to top your battery with rapid chargers being available at most motorway service stations.
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Workplace charging
If your workplace has EV charging points, then this is the ideal alternative for you! Workplace parking is perfect to fully charge your EV as your car is parked there for a long period of time. It’s also super handy for charging your fleet of company cars overnight.
Your workplace doesn’t have EV chargers? No problem! In order to support the UK government’s pledge to reduce our carbon footprint the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is currently offering employers the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).
The WCS reduced the purchase and installation costs of new workplace EV charging stations by 75%. This caps costs at only £350 per socket. Any employer can claim this for up to 40 charge points. This could be 40 single socket points or 20 double socket points.
Benefits of workplace charging to businesses
Currently 75% of EV users are unable to charge their vehicles at work in the UK. However, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to provide EV charging points in order to meet the government’s sustainability mission by 2050.
Here’s why all businesses should consider installing EV charging points, whether they are provided for customers, employees or for company cars.
1. Customers stay for longer
For retail businesses, customers are key. While getting the customer through the door might be the easy part, keeping them there is a different story. Give your customers another reason to stay!
Installing EV charging points will allow customers to shop for as long as they need without being worried about where the nearest charging station is. You’re motivating customers to browse for longer by having straightforward parking facilities.
Customers who browse more are likely to spend more
Some customers may even choose to visit your business over your competitors because they know they can charge their EV while there.
2. Keeping employees happy
Statistics show that employees who feel valued by their employer are more engaged and productive. By offering your employees the opportunity to charge their EVs while working it means you’re meeting their needs.
This is particularly important for employees who work long shifts or unsociable hours. Your employees won’t have to worry about when they’re going to be able to top up. You’re also eliminating their fear of running out of power on the way to or from work.
Demonstrating that you are a responsive and committed employer is sure to improve employees mood, creativity and productivity. Don’t forget happy employees means healthy employees.
3. Show your environmental commitment
Social responsibility is crucial for any business and enabling greener transport is a huge part of that. By installing EV charging stations, you’re putting out a clear and visible message about where your business stands by reducing the environmental impact of its operations and personnel.
4. Improving efficiency and cutting costs.
Accessible electric charging points make life easier for EV owners, whether that’s your employees, customers or potential clients.
You’ll be reducing the time it takes for employees to search for a space to charge. For businesses that offer company cars, there are opportunities to save on fuel and maintenance costs.
5. Providing convenience for clients
Potential clients make decisions about which companies to partner with based on a range of factors. Convenience is one of the most important.
Installing EV charging stations on the premises is attractive to clients. It means they can top up while attending a meeting or site visit
Hiring an EV from EVision
Here at EVision, we specialise in electric vehicle hire. We have a brilliant range of vehicles suitable for both domestic and commercial use. You can view our full range of available vehicles here.
Fancy trying out an EV? You can give our team a call on 01634 914 063 or email us at mail@evisionevs.co.uk.
Bookings can be made directly on our website, and we can offer UK delivery too. Whether you would like the car delivered to a home or workplace address, we can work around a time and place to suit your needs.
Alternatively, you can pop into one of our four collection points based in Kent, Devon, Durham and Yorkshire. You can find more details about how to contact EVision, here.
