The proportion of new driveways being installed alongside an EV charger — or at least with provision for one — is growing quickly. For anyone who owns or plans to own an electric vehicle, the new driveway is the right moment to think about charging infrastructure, not after the surface is laid. Retrofitting cable routes through a finished driveway or new block paving is straightforward only if a conduit was left in during the build. Without it, cable routes under a completed surface mean cutting and relaying, which adds cost and leaves visible repair lines.
Plan the Cable Route Before Any Groundwork Starts
A home EV charger draws its power from the consumer unit (fuse board) in the house. The cable route from the house to the charger position on the driveway or garage wall needs to be decided — and, if it runs under the driveway surface, a duct or conduit laid in place — before the sub-base is compacted. A 32mm or 50mm conduit from the house to the charger position costs almost nothing to lay at the sub-base stage and transforms the cable installation later.
"The most common and avoidable mistake when installing a driveway that will also have an EV charger is not laying cable conduit during the groundwork phase. The conduit costs a few pounds and takes ten minutes to position in the sub-base. Reinstating block paving or cutting tarmac to retrofit a cable later costs several hundred pounds — easily as much as the charger installation itself."— OZEV — Office for Zero Emission Vehicles: Charge Point Guidance
Charger Position and the Driveway Layout
Think about where the charge port on your vehicle is before choosing a charger position — most EVs have the charge port at the front or one side, and having to reverse in awkwardly to reach the charger on every charge is a daily frustration. The charger should be on the same side as the vehicle's charge port and close enough to reach with a standard 7.5m cable without strain. A wall-mounted charger on the house or garage wall is the most common position; a bollard charger in the driveway surface is an alternative where there is no suitable wall.
The Electrical Capacity Question
A 7kW home charger requires a 32-amp circuit with its own breaker in the consumer unit. If your consumer unit is an older fuse board without spare capacity, upgrading it is part of the charger installation cost. Occasionally, the incoming supply to the property (the DNO service cable and meter) is undersized for the additional load of EV charging alongside normal household use — this is more common in older terraced properties. Your electrical installer will assess this during the survey and can apply to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for a supply upgrade if needed.
"A 7kW charger running overnight is the standard domestic setup and the most cost-effective way to charge. A 22kW three-phase charger runs faster but requires a three-phase supply, which most UK domestic properties do not have. For home use, there is rarely a practical case for three-phase — overnight charging on a 7kW unit takes an EV from near-empty to full in eight to ten hours."— Zap-Map — Home EV Charging Guide
Grant Eligibility
The OZEV Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides a grant of up to £350 toward the cost of a home charger for eligible applicants. Eligibility changed in April 2022 — the grant is now targeted at renters and flat owners with dedicated parking; most homeowners buying a new charger outright are no longer eligible for the residential grant. Your charger installer can confirm current eligibility rules, which change periodically, at the time of quotation.
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