Electric vehicles
From 2030, no new diesel or petrol cars can be sold in the UK. In addition, from 2035, the sale of new plug-in hybrid vehicles (which use batteries with diesel or petrol) will also stop.
We want to support residents to move away from petrol and diesel cars towards electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are becoming increasingly popular, with more Oxfordshire residents driving one, many different models on the market and prices becoming increasingly affordable. The public EV charging network across the UK is also increasing in size and reliability.
However, if you are one of the estimated 30% of households in Oxfordshire without a driveway, installing a home charger may not be an easy option.
We hope to give more residents the confidence to own and use an EV by providing practical charging solutions for these households. We have been awarded £4 million of government funding to work with other Oxfordshire councils, and you will start seeing changes across the county soon.
Oxfordshire local EV infrastructure project
You can expect to see over 1,500 new public EV chargers installed across the county by summer 2028. All new chargers will be in convenient locations, reliable, easy to use, and will have contactless payment facilities.
Residents who park on the street can also apply for an EV cable channel, enabling them to charge an EV outside their home using their home energy supply.
We are also working with partner councils to locate chargers in shared spaces, such as leisure centre carparks, and to explore solutions for more rural areas.
Charger speeds
Most of the new charging bays will use standard 7.4kW AC chargers, which are well-suited to longer-stay, near-home charging for residents without driveways. This will help people charge conveniently while their vehicle is parked for several hours or overnight, often when electricity tariffs are cheaper. A small number of faster chargers are also proposed where appropriate.
Useful links
- Find an EV chargepoint near you.
- Find out all you need to know about buying and running an electric vehicle on the Autotrader website where you can also read their handy guide to home EV charging.
- Check with the government planning authority before you install a home charger.
- Discover the truth behind the most common EV myths in Faircharge’s Little Book of EV Myths.
- Find information on central government grants by visiting the central government electric vehicle chargepoint grants website.
- Oxfordshire's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy (pdf format, 4 MB)
Help with the cost of installing a charging unit
The Office for Zero Emissions (OZEV) website provides information about the various grants available from the central government to help with the cost of EV chargers.
This includes EV chargepoints and infrastructure grants for landlords and those who rent from them, workplace charging schemes, including support for state-funded education providers.
If you own your own house, there are currently no grants available to cover the cost of home chargers.
Got a driveway? Install your own charger
If you have off-street parking, such as a driveway or garage, the cheapest and most convenient way to charge an EV is a home charging point. These are typically external, wall-mounted units that draw power from your home's regular energy supply.
They let you plug your car in overnight, charge it while you sleep (often using cheaper electricity rates), and wake up to a fully charged vehicle the next day.
Most home EV chargers are considered ‘permitted development’ when it comes to planning and will not need you to get planning permission.
If you live in a conservation area, a listed building, or don’t have private off-street parking, you should check the government planning portal before you install.