Homeowners can boost EV infrastructure with empty driveways

Earlier in the month, Boris Johnson announced the Government’s ambitious – or as some see it, overambitious – intention to bring forward the ban on new combustion-engine cars to 2035. Many have wondered how the country should go about developing an infrastructure of electric vehicle (EV) charging points within this timeframe. YourParkingSpace, the online parking marketplace, believes homeowners can play a role in keeping a growing EV fleet on the move.

“Empty driveways are now at the forefront of increasing the number of EV charge point spaces in the UK,” states YourParkingSpace. The parking portal says research it has carried out indicates that homeowners with an empty driveway and EV charge point who rent these to motorists, who pay to park and charge their cars, are “now making a huge difference” to the available stock of EV charge points in the UK. At present, 3,775 parking spaces with charging facilities at 1,200 private locations are offered through the YourParkingSpace portal.

This number is growing fast, the company adds. It says locations now available to rent and park via YourParkingSpace.co.uk account for more than ten per cent of the approximately 11,000 locations listed across the UK on Zap-Map.

On average, the rental income that driveway owners with an EV charge point receive via YourParkingSpace is 12 per cent higher than that gained with surrounding spaces. Owners are able to charge a higher tariff for these spaces, which are attractive to EV drivers.

“We’ve seen a rapid increase in homeowners with electric vehicle charge points registering their driveways to rent as they recognise the money-making opportunities they provide,” comments Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk. “As a result, we expect to double the number of private locations to 2,500 by the end of 2020.

“It’s also an attractive option for electric vehicle drivers to park their cars in pre-booked driveways as they are conveniently located and often cheaper than traditional car parks, while topping up on juice ready for their next journey.”

Homeowners with an empty driveway and EV charge point can list it for free on the YourParkingSpace portal. Spaces in particularly high-demand are those in city and town centres, near music and sports venues, railway stations, airports and high streets.