EV charging rules for car parks are under review. What could change, and what to plan now

On 21 October 2026 the Department for Transport opened a consultation on changes to Part S of the Building Regulations, the part that covers electric vehicle charging in new buildings and major renovations in England. It closes at 11:59pm on 16 December 2026. Nothing has changed yet, but anyone planning a building with parking in the next few years should know what is on the table.

What the consultation proposes

Covered car parks. Today, new and substantially renovated covered car parks have to install cable routes rather than charge points. The government is considering making charge points mandatory in these car parks, both enclosed and open sided.

The £3,600 cost cap. At the moment, once the average connection cost reaches £3,600 per charge point, further charge points are not required and cable routes apply to the remaining spaces. The consultation asks whether this figure should change, including whether it should rise each year in line with CPI inflation.

Clearer definitions and standards. Proposals include minimum charge point standards, changes to wiring and voltage drop requirements, and simpler definitions of "major renovation" and "cable route".

Vehicle to grid. The government says it is too early to mandate V2X, but it wants views on the electrical infrastructure a building would need to be ready for it.

Why the connection still decides the project

Whatever the rules say about the number of charge points, the electricity supply decides what can be installed and when. The government guidance on connecting chargepoints sets out the steps:

• The installer visits the site and decides whether the network operator must be told before or after installation, using the Energy Networks Association process.
• Workplaces and depots with several charge points should talk to the network operator early.
• The network operator issues a connection quote in 5 to 65 working days, depending on the size of the connection, and the customer then has 90 days to accept or reject it.
• Smaller connections to an existing street cable can take a few weeks. Very large connections can take many months, sometimes years.
• Since 1 April 2023, demand customers such as chargepoint owners no longer pay for reinforcement of the distribution network.

What to do now

1. Check the supply first. Before choosing chargers, find out what the building's supply and main board can carry, and what load management or battery storage could add.
2. Plan the cable routes properly. If the rules change, the cheapest moment to add charge points is when the routes, containment and board capacity are already there.
3. Talk to the network operator early on any car park or depot with more than a handful of spaces, because the quote and the works can take longer than the build.
4. Respond to the consultation if you own, design or manage car parks. It is open until 16 December 2026.

We install EV chargers for homes, blocks of flats, workplaces, fleets and depots across the UK and Europe. We assess the supply first and prepare the notification or application to the network operator where one is needed. If you are planning a car park or a building with parking, send us the drawings.

Sources: GOV.UK, Department for Transport consultation, 21 October 2026; GOV.UK, Connecting electric vehicle chargepoints to the electricity network.