In 20 years’ time electric vehicles will be the norm on our roads – and where there are EVs, there must be charging facilities, says Jamie Willsdon of Future Fuel.
Building on its promise to ban sales of new diesel and petrol cars from 2014, the government has just announced a £23M investment in the latest electric vehicle technology. Charging points are already a familiar sight in our towns and cities but in future 75% of electric vehicle charging will be done at home. Developers are now installing electric charging points in new residential blocks as standard but existing developments throw up more challenges for leaseholders and property managers.
Future Fuel was launched in 2018, partnering with Wallbox to introduce a simple, cost-effective, pay-as-you-go charging solution that works in tandem with a cloud-based app and there has been a huge level of interest from clients.
Set-up is simple, with very little electrical work needed. Sizing will depend on how many charge-points you require now or wish to allow for future expansion. In most developments, the existing landlord/communal area supply service distribution equipment can be extended and a dedicated distribution board installed to feed the new charging points. It should also be possible for all wiring to charge point locations to be run using the building’s existing wiring containment system, ensuring the installation is as discrete as possible
The biggest issue on most installations is the lease. So we are partnering with PM Legal Services to provide a route for clients through the minefield of leasehold covenants and clauses which can put hurdles in the way of improvement projects – and electric charging points are no exception.
Every lease is different and the way each one is written will guide, shape and inform how the project can be successfully achieved. Important points to consider are:
- Who are the parties to the lease?
- How owns the area where the charging point will be installed?
- How will the supply for the charging point be catered for?
- How are the costs going to be met for both installation, ongoing maintenance and also the electricity supply itself?
Property managers will need to consider these issues even in the most basic developments. How the EV charging project is taken forward will be entirely dependent on the answers to these questions. Leasehold blocks are often complex, so it’s vital to pay attention to these legal points and advice from a law firm specialising in leasehold is vital.
At Future Fuel we are excited to be supporting early adoption of EV technology in the residential block market. Watch this space for our first case study of a completed project – we will all be able to learn from it.
Find out more about Future Fuel’s state of the art charging solutions at future-group.uk/fuel.
