Electric vehicle charging firm EZ-Charge has called for the Government to slash VAT on public EV charging to encourage more people to make the switch to electric.
Currently VAT is charged at 20% on public EV charging, four times the 5% for drivers who charge at home.
Annual figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders this month revealed sales of battery electric vehicles increased by almost 50,000 in 2023 compared to the previous year.
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Philip Shadbolt OBE, founder and CEO of EZ-Charge, has called for the Government to remove VAT on public charging to improve affordability and drive a faster public transition to EVs.
He said: “We are in the thick of a climate emergency and a cost-of-living crisis, so it’s the right thing to do.
“Clean motoring technology is crucial to meeting the UK’s climate goals and we must be bolder and move faster with more measures to encourage people to change their behaviour and switch to EVs.
“Removing as many barriers to entry as possible is key to making it easier for people to switch.
“Parity in VAT between home and public charging would create a fairer landscape and help continue growth of the sector.”
EZ-Charge manages one of the UK’s largest regional public charging networks, Park & Charge Oxfordshire, with 250 chargers across 20 sites in the county.
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The company, based in Bicester, has developed one of the market’s most advanced software systems, the EZ-Charge dashboard, which provides live access to the most powerful data from its chargers.
“Many electric vehicle drivers charge at public charging hubs and it’s vital the UK makes owning an EV as attractive as possible,” added Mr Shadbolt OBE.
“More and more drivers are choosing to go electric, reflecting a national trend in what has been a landmark year for the UK, with more than 50,000 public chargers now installed.
“With increased support 2024 can be the year to take it to the next level.”
The reduced rate of VAT is known as the ‘de minimis’ provision and applies if the supply of electricity is ongoing, is to a person’s house or building and is less than 1,000 kilowatt hours per month.
Last year Henley topped the list for where electric vehicle drivers were most active.
Woodstock, Chipping Norton, Witney and Wantage completed the top towns within Oxfordshire’s largest public EV charging network in 2023.
While the biggest electric vehicle charging point is at Redbridge park and ride in Oxford, the biggest charging network in Oxfordshire is run by EZ-Charge.
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Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
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