Government considers mandatory EV chargers in covered car parks

The UK Government is considering making EV chargers mandatory in covered car parks. The new rules would cover both new builds and car parks undergoing major renovation in England, and they could spell the end of the exemption that currently allows developers to install cable routes without fitting the chargers themselves.

The proposals form part of a consultation on changes to Part S of the Building Regulations, which sets out EV charging requirements for new buildings and those undergoing major renovations.

Under the existing rules, covered car parks generally only need the cable routes required for future charging equipment. The Government is now considering extending the charger installation requirements that apply to other parking facilities to both enclosed and open-sided car parks.

The exemption was originally put in place on fire safety grounds, but the Government has since learned that some developers were using it as a ‘get out of jail free card’, and it was actually discouraging some building owners from installing chargers. 

Additionally, the Government has since published interim guidance and reviewed further research on the fire safety of chargers in enclosed parking garages, it’s also commissioning additional work and seeking advice from expert bodies, including the Building Safety Regulator, before deciding whether to change the rules.

Connection costs and electrical standards under review

The consultation also raises questions about how much developers should be expected to spend on the electrical connections needed to support EV charging.

Under existing Part S rules, the number of chargers required in new residential developments can be limited where the average additional electricity connection cost exceeds £3,600 per charger. Developers must still install the maximum number possible within that threshold and provide cable routes for the remaining spaces that would otherwise require chargers.

The £3,600 threshold relates to the cost of upgrading the electrical connection, rather than the price of purchasing and installing the charger itself.

The Government is considering increasing this limit to reflect rising costs since 2021, potentially adjusting it annually for inflation. A higher threshold could mean developers are required to install more chargers, even where providing sufficient electrical capacity involves expensive connection upgrades.

There could also be changes to the technical requirements governing how charging infrastructure is designed and installed.

Following feedback from industry, the Government is considering more explicit minimum standards for load management and protective earth and neutral (PEN) fault protection, alongside changes to guidance on wiring and voltage drop.

These are already important considerations under existing electrical safety standards, but the consultation raises the possibility of making some requirements more explicit within Part S.

The Government is also considering how buildings could accommodate future V2X technology, which allows electricity stored in EV batteries to be supplied back to buildings or the grid.

Although it considers mandatory V2X chargers premature, it wants to understand what additional electrical infrastructure might be needed to support the technology over the next five to 10 years.

For now, these remain proposals rather than confirmed changes to the regulations. The consultation closes on December 16, 2026, after which the Government will review responses before deciding how to proceed.