Electric vehicles

The UK Government’s Road to Zero Strategy restricts the sale of fossil-fuelled cars from 2030. No new diesel and petrol cars can be sold from this date and no plug-in hybrid vehicles (using batteries and diesel or petrol) from 2035. Current predictions are that at least 1 in 5 cars on Oxfordshire’s roads will be fully electric by 2030.

There are lots of reliable facts and figures about EVs on the Autotrader website, and you can find out the truth behind the most common EV myths in Faircharge’s Little Book of EV Myths. 

How and where to charge your EV in Oxfordshire

Find out where public EV charging points are currently available in Oxfordshire and beyond using Zap Map. 

Oxfordshire Councils are also working together to deliver an additional 1,200 new public EV chargers by the end of 2027, using a £3.6million grant from central government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) programme.   The funding is primarily for lower-power (7-22kW) chargers to provide near-home charging facilities for residents who can’t easily charge at home.  This will include the creation of EV charging hubs in council and community-run car parks, as well as some roadside chargers where not enough suitable off-street car park locations are available.

Unfortunately, the council cannot respond to individual requests for public charge points to be provided in specific locations, but you can use this handy mapping tool to tell us where you would ideally like to see EV charging hubs and roadside EV chargers.  Your suggestions will help inform our plans for future infrastructure delivery and ensure that it meets the needs of residents.

Installing your own EV charger

Most people like to charge their electric vehicles at home or at their workplace, which is usually the cheapest option as you can use your own electricity supply (and renewables if you have them).

The Government currently has various grant schemes available to provide funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle chargers in different types of location.  More details can be found on the Gov.Uk website as follows:

• For renters and flat owners 
• For staff and fleets 
• For landlords, including car parks 
• Workplace Charging Scheme 
• Workplace Charging Scheme for state funded education institutions [EB1] [FC2] 

Most EV chargers are considered “Permitted development” and will not need planning permission. This is not always the case, however. If you live in a conservation area or a listed building, or if you don’t have a driveway, you should check with your Local Planning Authority (District Council) before you install.

If you don’t have a driveway or private off-street parking space

Around 30-40% of Oxfordshire residents may struggle to install home chargers because they don’t have a suitable parking space off the highway.  However, the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy (pdf format, 4Mb) lists solutions that the councils are delivering to help residents in this situation. These include:

• Near-home public EV chargers – such as EV charging hubs in local car parks, or on-street chargers at roadside
• Rapid charging facilities for on-the-go charging when necessary
• EV Cable Channels – allowing people to charge an EV at kerbside from a home charger, without causing a trip hazard

Another option is to find a friendly neighbour who is willing to let you use their home charger.  Visit Co-Charger to see who is sharing their home charger near you.

EV Cable Channels for residents without off-road parking

From early 2025, people in Oxfordshire who don’t have a private off-road parking space will be able to apply to Oxfordshire County Council for an EV Cable Channel.

This is a purpose-built channel installed in the pavement that allows an EV charging cable to be safely connected between a home EV charger and an EV parked at the kerbside. 

The only way to install an EV cable channel in Oxfordshire is to apply to Oxfordshire County Council. You cannot install one yourself or have it privately arranged as Oxfordshire County Council manage the highway.

The County Council has been given funding to pilot 500 EV Cable Channels across the county. The costs of the cable channels will be subsidised by the funding; residents will only need to pay the council for part of the cost to install the EV Cable Channel and an annual licence fee which helps pay for maintenance and running the scheme.

Not every property will be suitable for an EV Cable Channel, and the council will need to visit to check for safety and suitability, including;

• Safe and legal parking on the road outside your property
• The type and condition of pavement outside your property (we can’t install cable channels in grass verges).
• Whether there are any other EV chargers or electrical street furniture nearby.

 A detailed eligibility checklist will be shown on our website when we open applications to the public. People applying to OCC for an EV Cable Channel will also need to apply to their Local Planning Authority (District Council) for planning permission to install a home EV charger.  The Council will only be able to install an EV cable channel when Planning Permission is granted for a home EV charger. 

People applying to the scheme will need to organise and pay for their planning application, the cost of a home EV charger, annual electrical safety checks and insurances to cover them in case of any accidents related to their use of the EV Cable Channel. 

Further details about Oxfordshire’s EV Cable Channel scheme will be published shortly.