Plans for all new buildings to have electric vehicle charging points is "vitally needed"
These plans were announced by the Prime Minister yesterday as part of his speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
The Governments plans for electric vehicle charge points to be a mandatory part of all new homes and offices will make them more attractive to buyers in the East.
Boris Johnson has said the plans will also require supermarkets and workplaces to install charging points, with any other buildings undergoing large-scale renovations told to install the points too.
That's according to Lord Richard Allan, from New Auto-Motive.
He told us that the Government's decision makes sense: "It's far cheaper to put in place the electric infrastructure when you're building something than it is to come in and try and retro fit it later. So this is going to be the most cost effective way to get those charging points in house, offices and supermarkets. Plus we are going to need them, so it makes absolute sense".
He also told us more people in the East are switching to electric: "In the East Anglian region more than 10% of new vehicles being brought are electric and in some parts of the country, that figure is as high as 20%. So people are buying them now in very significant numbers. The Government want to increase this further because it's good for all of us, including the drivers. These things are cheaper and cleaner to run. We all benefit from this switch".
He went on to say that the cost owners will have to pay to install these charge points is worth it: "They are going to have to absorb a few hundred pounds of cost for the charge point but frankly it's going to make their property a lot more attractive. Increasingly when people come and buy a house one of the questions they will have, alongside does it have a garage and a garden, will be does it have an electric charging point? So I think this is going to add a lot more value than it is to put it in".
He concluded by saying that a standardised process is vital to the plans success: "There will have to be more detailed discussions about how powerful these charge point are, because some points charge faster than others. There will also be questions about the kind of cables and connectors along with all that sort of stuff. So the more this is all standardised the better. The more that somebody can buy a house and know the charging point will work for their car, the better that will be for everyone".