About
The Government’s ‘Taking Charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy’ was published in March 2022 and clearly sets out the ambitions and the role that local government has in enabling a move to electric vehicles.
Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy
In this strategy, the Government has recognised the problem of trailing cables on public highways at properties that do not have access to off-street parking. Charging cables are not allowed to trail across the pavement unless adaptive infrastructure is provided to accommodate them safely (for example, gullies). Anything that creates a trip hazard does not constitute adaptive infrastructure. At Somerset Council, we are currently exploring this further. In the meantime, if you do charge your car at home, we would like to bring to your attention the following Electric vehicle charging cables page.
Contactless payment
Following consultation, the Government is now looking to set out regulations for chargepoints. Subject to parliamentary passage, these chargepoint regulations will be laid out in the coming months. The requirement for contactless payment capacity at all new chargepoints 8kW and above will come into effect one year after the regulations begin. All chargepoints installed through the ‘Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure’ (LEVI) funding and the ‘On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme’ (ORCS) must adhere to these regulations when they come into effect.
Consumer Experience at Public ChargePoints (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Power Output Categories
- Low speed: 0 kW up to 3.7kW
- Standard: 3.7 kw up to 8 kW
- Fast: 8kW up to 49 kW
- Rapid: 50 kW up to 149 kW
- Ultra-rapid: 150 kW and over