ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 16
OPI N I O N
EV
The missing piece
of the mandate
→ Denis Watling is managing director at Tohmo, formerly ChargeGuru
T
he Government is reviewing
the ZEV Mandate sales
targets, but the real challenge
facing is not consumer
demand, but ensuring millions
living in flats and apartment
buildings can access
affordable home charging.
UK registrations of battery
electric vehicles (BEVs) rose about 30%
year-on-year in August, making it the
single biggest fuel type in the market
that month. For many, the total cost of
ownership of an EV is now comparable
to, or lower than, that of a petrol or diesel
vehicle, particularly when regular access
to home charging is available.
The case for EV adoption extends
beyond household finances. The wider
environmental and public health benefits
are becoming increasingly clear. The
National Institute for Health and Care
Research reports that children in
London whose lung growth had been
stunted by pollution showed impressive
improvements after the introduction of
Ulez in 2019, benefitting a population in
which more than half of households live
in flats, maisonettes or apartments.
What’s missing?
Drivers living in flats, maisonettes and
apartment buildings receive no mention
in the 90-page ZEV Mandate review, yet
they represent much of the untapped
potential for reaching the goals.
If drivers in flats and apartments –
roughly one-fifth of households – were
more supported in making the switch,
then the ZEV Mandate in its current
form would be entirely achievable. More
people would be able to charge at home,
and the private charging network would
fill in gaps not yet covered by a growing
public charging network.
Rather than making EV adoption
easier, recent policy shifts have actually
added new friction for drivers in flats.
Changes to the OZEV scheme have
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q4 2026
increased support for individual chargepoints, offering grants of up to £500 to
renters, flat owners, and landlords.
However, these changes do little
to address the shared electrical
infrastructure needed to enable charging
across an entire building.
Without investment in shared
infrastructure, residents may pursue
individual charger installations on an
ad hoc basis. This can create a range
of challenges, including inaccurate
electricity billing, uneven electrical loads,
cables crossing communal areas and,
most importantly, safety concerns.
Without coordinated, building-wide
infrastructure, buildings can accumulate
a patchwork of incompatible charging
systems that are costly to manage,
maintain and upgrade. By changing
OZEV grant structures, policymakers are
missing a vital opportunity to encourage
EV adoption and naturally fulfil current
ZEV Mandate ambitions.
What do we need?
Most residents living in flats and
apartment buildings are still unable to
access the full benefits of switching to
an EV. This isn’t because of a lack of
demand, but because the installation
of charging infrastructure relies on
decisions made by property managers
and freeholders, and is now exacerbated
by changes made to OZEV grants.
The challenge facing the ZEV Mandate
is not a lack of consumer interest. People
want to switch to electric vehicles, but
remain locked out by a lack of access to
home charging.
Rather than weakening EV targets,
policymakers should focus on unlocking
charging infrastructure in flats and
apartment buildings. Doing so would
open one of the largest remaining
opportunities for EV adoption, and help
accelerate progress towards cleaner
transport, improved public health and the
UK's net zero ambitions.
