Labour ‘risks giving with one hand and taking away with the other’ amid new electric car rules

By removing red tape, the Government estimates that drivers could save up to £300 when installing a cross-pavement charger.

It will also allow access to home charging for as little as 2p per mile when using an EV-friendly home tariff.

When charging at home using an exclusive Octopus EV Saver tariff, drivers can charge at home for as little as 2p per mile.

Data from Octopus shows that a full charge at home costs just £4.32, while it would cost £38.74 for an equivalent petrol car to cover the same mileage.

Petrol cars cost around 18p per mile to run, which could cause havoc for motorists as the Iran war forces unleaded prices to near-record levels.

Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, praised the decision to cut planning permission, adding that more practical changes are needed to make the switch easier.

He continued, saying: “Cheap overnight charging shouldn’t be a perk reserved for people with driveways.

“Removing this planning hurdle puts money back in drivers’ pockets – a welcome relief as many fret over skyrocketing petrol prices.”

This was echoed by Simon Williams, head of roads policy at the RAC, who described it as a “much-needed step in the right direction”.

However, he pointed out that there is no guarantee that drivers can park in front of their homes to access their cross-pavement charger.

He added that, although planning permission has been scrapped, residents still need authorisation from the council to install the charging gulley.

They will take into account whether the cross-pavement gulley interferes with gas, electricity, water or telecoms infrastructure before giving the green light.

Mr Williams said: “So while the Government’s announcement does make life easier for some EV owners, it’s not a silver bullet.

“To make EV charging cheaper for those that don’t have a driveway, the Government should also be minded to cut VAT on public charging to match home rates.”

At present, public EV chargers attract a 20 per cent VAT rate, with experts consistently calling for home and public rates to be equalised.

Tanya Sinclair, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, concluded: “Helping more drivers get a home charger is welcome, unlocking off-peak charging for as little as 2p per mile. But the Government risks giving with one hand and taking away with the other.

“Weakening the ZEV mandate, entertaining tariffs on electric cars and adding a 3p per mile tax would all undermine those savings and put EVs further out of reach. Drivers need a clear route to cheaper electric motoring, not more barriers.”