Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars, vans and other motor vehicles that have battery powered electric motors instead of a petrol or diesel engine. This removes the exhaust pipe emissions generated by petrol and diesel engines that lead to climate change and poor air quality in our communities.
The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2035, and many car manufacturers now offer a selection of electric vehicles within their range. You can find out more about the government's plan for transitioning to zero emission cars and vans here.
Hybrid vehicles have both a petrol or diesel and an electric motor that reduces exhaust pipe emissions, but they will no longer be sold after 2035 as only cars with zero carbon emissions will be sold beyond that date.
You can find more information about the main types of EVs here. There is further information available on EVs at the Energy Saving Trust and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
EV charging points
Lincolnshire County Council adopted the Fifth Local Transport Plan (LTPV) in spring 2022. LTPV identified the importance of alternative fuels for Lincolnshire, including the importance of electric vehicle infrastructure for individuals, businesses, and communities.
Our electric vehicle strategy was developed and was awarded Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding from the UK Government. The fund supports local authorities in England to work with the chargepoint industry, to improve the roll out and commercialisation of local charging infrastructure.
These public chargepoints will help residents who don’t have off-street parking and need to charge their EVs.
The LEVI Capital fund aims to:
- deliver a step-change in the deployment of local, primarily low power, on-street charging infrastructure across England
- accelerate the commercialisation of, and investment in, the local charging infrastructure sector
Find a list of charging points
Charging electric vehicles off-street
Most plug-in electric cars come with cables you can plug in at home, using a standard 13-amp socket or plugging into a proprietary charging point. Charging an EV is reasonably straightforward for residents with access to off-street parking. Residents should refer to their vehicle’s handbook and any instructions for using cables, including extension cables, and seek advice from a qualified electrician before charging an EV.
It is important to consider public safety and existing legislation when placing the cable from the power supply in your home to your vehicle. Owners should be aware that any legal liability arising from the placement of the cable/guard is their responsibility. You may wish to speak to your home insurer to seek confirmation that your home insurance policy covers this situation.
Consider your surroundings
When considering charging your car on the public highway, it is important to be mindful of other road and footway users.
The presence of an EV cable, protected or not, may provoke a reaction from neighbours and passers-by. You can prevent this by following this guidance and avoiding placing a cable on other people’s property (e.g. on neighbouring land or over an adjacent vehicle bonnet).
Should the act of charging an EV cause a neighbourly dispute, you can find more information in regard to resolving this here.
Households should also consider the potential risk to their property when charging their EV. For example, a cable trailed through an open window, letterbox or front door could increase the chance of a walk-in burglary. Find information on protecting your home here.
Charging electric vehicles on-street
If you do not have a driveway or other off-street parking, you may still be able to safely charge an EV from your property if you can park directly outside your property. The person charging the vehicle must adhere to any parking restrictions that may be in place and not obstruct the footway or any accesses. It is the responsibility of the person charging the vehicle to avoid putting themselves and others at risk when trailing a cable across a footway or an area people may cross.
Vehicles should be parked as close to the property as possible to reduce the cable length required. You should run the cable along the carriageway channel against the kerb where an EV cannot be parked immediately outside the property. The recommended maximum distance to charge an EV from the property is 10 metres (approximately two car lengths).
The cable must not cross the carriageway, so your vehicle should always be parked on the same side of the road as your property, with the charging point as near the kerb as possible.
Any required extension lead should be suitable for external use. It is the resident’s responsibility to ensure that the cable does not cause a danger or a nuisance to the public.
Cables must be laid flat with a cable guard covering them. They should not be extended from an upper storey to a vehicle or hung from any street furniture, including lamp columns or trees. A cable must only be placed over the footway when the vehicle is charging and should be removed when not in use.
When considering adding a proprietary charging point to their home, residents need to consider current planning regulations and whether a charging point may obstruct the footway (in the case of a terraced house). You can find further guidance on planning permission for electric vehicle charging points here.
Using a cable guard
You must use a cable guard to safely get the cable from your property boundary to your vehicle. Cable guards are regularly used in public spaces and areas of high footfall to cover cables/wires temporarily.
The cable guard should cover the area which will be walked across, including the width of the footway and verge between the property and the vehicle.
The cable guard must be non-slip and have contrasting colour markings in yellow or a similar highly visible colour. It must have anti-trip sloped sides and be rigid enough for outdoor use.
Charging your vehicle
When charging your vehicle on-street, you must adhere to the following:
- Park as close to your electrical outlet as possible
- Minimise the distance needed for the cable to cross the footway
- Run the cable along the kerb edge to reduce trip hazards
- Use a suitable proprietary cable protector/guard with contrasting colours to highlight the cable and minimise trip hazards
When charging your vehicle on-street, you must not do the following:
- Trail unprotected cables across the footway
- Leave extension leads placed on the footway
- Hang cables from upstairs windows or on streetlights, signposts or any other object at height
- Park opposite your property whilst charging, leaving a cable across the road – whether protected or not
- Park in contravention of local parking restrictions, such as double yellow lines
- Obstruct the footway by parking your vehicle on it
Licensing
Using an EV charging cable does not require a licence, as long as the cable does not cross the carriageway. However, as local authority policies are reviewed and updated, this may change in the future. You must avoid the cable crossing the carriageway by parking on the same side of the road as your property, with the charging point as near the kerb as possible.
Where the use of a cable on the footway is not deemed suitable, then the County Council has existing powers under Section 162 of the Highways Act to seek to have the cable removed.
An NRSWA Section 50 licence would be required for temporary placement of apparatus, including cabling, on or over the carriageway.