Electric car owners aim to get rid of gardens and 'free up space' to charge EVs
Some EV owners are looking to make extra space for their car (stock image)
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New data has found that nearly half of UK homeowners are considering getting rid of the green space in their front garden to accommodate an electric vehicle.
Despite this, 53 per cent of people said the trend of people paving over their front garden to create parking space needed to be addressed.
Drivers may see the option of keeping their front garden in shape and park their cars on the road rather than paving over it.
However, electric car owners may lean towards paving the garden over to ensure they have space to park the car and charge it using a home EV charger.
EV home chargers are becoming more popular
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Demand for home electric car chargers has risen in recent years with more drivers opting to invest in a home charger and foregoing the public network.
With the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles less than seven years away, an increasing number of motorists are looking at EVs as a serious alternative.
Aside from this, the prevalence of Clean Air Zones and the Ulez expansion could sway driver opinion, potentially helping them save thousands of pounds a year by avoiding the daily charge.
More than a quarter of UK homeowners are concerned about the growth of EV charging at home and how it may have a negative impact on their homes.
Many potential homeowners are also put off by the idea of paving to make space for electric cars, with 61 per cent of people saying they are more attracted to a house if it has a beautiful garden.
Henrietta Norman, landscape architect and creative director of Tulip Landscapes, said drivers who were looking at removing green space to have room for an EV could make it work.
She said: “Homeowners with EVs looking to install charging points in their own home and worried about the impact of paving over their front garden needn’t despair.
“With a little creativity and planning it’s possible to free up the space to charge and keep the much-needed habitat and beautiful planting our front gardens are known for.”
She added that drivers could and should try and strike a balance between greener motoring and green spaces.
Some people can apply to the Government for grants to go towards the price of installing an electric car charging point at their home.
The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75 per cent towards the cost of a smart charger after replacing the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme in April 2022.
Landlords can apply for the EV chargepoint grant and get either £350 or 75 per cent off the price of buying an EV charger and installing it.
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Many drivers are concerned about paving over gardens to create space
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Each year, drivers can apply for up to 200 grants for residential properties and 100 grants for commercial properties.