Charging location issue & options (3 pin plug vs commando vs wall charger)

[Yodasws101]

Hello,

I'm expecting to collect my M3 LR (UK) in March with a 22 plate, very excited but I still have issues with the charging setup at home (UK).

I own a semi-detached house (no driveway, area marked in red in the attachment, two-car parking space) that has an open barn (wooden) garage at the back of the house (a bit far). There is no electricity setup in the garage. I sometimes park my car on the street in front of the house like my neighbours but the local council doesn't allow laying the EV charging cable over the pavement as per guidelines by Kent County Council. My consumer unit is at the front of the house.

Please bear with me, I'll try to explain my problematic situation here and any advice will be much appreciated. A point to note is that I'll be looking to move to a new place next year so don't want to spend a lot on the charging setup.

So, in order to achieve the electricity set up in my garage and charging for EV, I have tried the following:

1. Contacted local DNO - GTC to provide electricity feed to my garage. (Can get OLEV grant)
2. Park at the front of my house on the street with cable over the pavement during nighttime. (Cannot get OLEV grant, no driveway)
3. Park at the back of my & neighbour's backyard temporarily for charging where a charging option (3 pin/commando/EV charger) is installed in my garden. (Cannot get OLEV grant, no driveway)

1. Reply from DNO - GTC
This was an ideal option for me as it will simplify my life of parking the car and charging it without any hassle.

GTC said that they can provide a new electricity feed from the back of the garage as they have their mainline as described in the attachment with the purple colour. But after an initial assessment, they said that the meter box cannot be installed as the garage is not built with brick and as it is wooden, it is a risk. ("There is an increased risk of the meter/cable being struck from behind with a nail or a screw-on a thin (comparatively to brick) wooden structure, particularly when the garage faces a public space.")

I have asked GTC to arrange a call with their engineer (Mon/Tues) so that I can understand this clearly.
1) How will meter box location be an issue if it is installed inside the garage and not outside?
2) If I can build a brick wall inside the garage for them to install the meter box.

Alternative option by GTC:
Plus, they have given another option that they can install a free-standing kiosk (which can be a bit expensive), it will be similar to the one in the attachment. But I'm not sure where will they install it - inside the garage, outside of my private land, etc. (any idea?)

I have not yet received any quote from GTC so far, there will be some digging work as well along with the energy supplier to set up the meter and electrician to set up the new consumer unit, plug/EV charger, etc.

2. Park in front of my house on the street

With no personal driveway (no OLEV grant), if I park in front of the house with access to a charging option (3 pin plug/commando/EV charger) at the front of my house, there is a risk involved as stated by the KCC website of laying the cable over the pavement. My street is not busy at all, a lot quieter during the night but I'm scared about the legal issues that may occur due to any accident.

3. Park at the back of the backyard temporarily for charging & then move the vehicle back to the garage

This is my fallback plan if nothing else works. My current neighbour is fine with me temporarily parking my car at the back of our backyard and using the charging cable to charge my car ensuring that no backyard gates are blocked. I thought if I go with this option, probably I can go for the commando socket which will charge my car fast as compared to a 3 pin plug. Then I don't have to park my car for long at the back. Also, my neighbour has sold the house a few days back so I'll have a new neighbour soon. But if the cost of getting the commando and an EV charger (e.g. Tesla Gen 2/3) is close, then probably I can just go for the EV charger.

For the commando/EV charger set up in the backyard (my consumer unit is at the front of the house):

1. Does the 32 amp cable for commando or the cable for the EV charger need to come from the consumer unit directly? OR Can the cable be extended from the rear of the house itself? I'm asking these questions to identify the need for the cable length, the cable length will add to the cost.
2. As such the purpose of this 32 amp commando is to charge the EV vehicle, what is the requirement for RCD and pen fault protection?
3. Is there any restriction that a commando socket & EV charger can only be installed on brick walls vs a wooden fence? As I have a wooden fence in the backyard and if I park my car close to the backyard, the socket/charger needs to be close (as much as possible) to the backyard gate.

I know that there are services like super-charging, zap map, etc. to find the nearby chargers but I'm looking for the home solution first and these will be fallback options anyway.

Any advice for a solution will be much appreciated.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Looks like 1) is the way to go, regardless of what they say. I imagine if you talk to any real electrician they'll tell you that the meter box is metal, and could be optionally backed up with MUCH stronger metal, and the feed line will be coming from underground in conduit which itself could be a stout metal if desired.

 

[Caramel]

Doesn’t look like you’ve had much of a response.

I don’t know enough about the regs but they are quite specific.

The Tesla charger installation manual has a detailed appendix for Uk regs.

I suspect you wouldn’t get away with doing mounting to wooden wall. Building a small brick wall or a freestanding option probably best.

I’m planning to get a car. Without any access to home charging. If your moving in the next year then maybe that’s the most cost effective option.

Laying a long cable capable of carrying 32 amps sounds expensive!

 

[JimBob 909]

If you plan to move in a year, I like Option 3. As an observation: with mandates of EV sales in the next few years, maybe approach the management company about assisting in EV charging infrastructure in your community, or ideas as to solutions. Looks like something that will have to be addressed in the future. If you install in your covered parking place, could be a selling point when you do sell. Your two garage-mates could also likely benefit.