Do I really want to be driving an Electric Vehicle in Oxfordshire?

Look at enough reviews of owning an EV, and you'll see the pattern: People love their cars, find them cheap to run and easy to maintain BUT...

"Where do you charge it?"

Well, at home - if you can. But an estimated 28% of Oxfordshire households (around 86,000) may be unable to install a home charger due to a lack of private off‑street parking. That means relying on public charging points, and, even though Oxfordshire is one of the better served parts of the country, there haven't been enough to go round. Those there are, are often 'fast-charge' points - great for topping up on a long journey, but a very expensive way to charge up on a regular basis.

So if you don't have off-street parking, EVs haven't been a great choice. Happily though, Oxfordshire local authorities have won government funding to install at least 1,500 public EV chargers across the county by the end of 2027. That will almost triple the supply we have now.

The plan is to improve “near‑home” charging for people who can’t easily charge on a driveway—by placing chargers in locations people already use, like public car parks, roadsides and community sites. Contracts with charging network operators are signed, sites are being set up, and fair distribution around the county is baked-in.

This is the kind of “real life” infrastructure that can make the difference between EVs feeling like a nice idea and an EV actually being your car.

To help residents who park on‑street, Oxfordshire County Council is also running a pilot that enables charging from home via cross‑pavement cable channels, designed to allow a cable to cross the pavement safely without creating a trip hazard. This pilot phase is intended to benefit 500 residents and is supported by a £700,000 government grant to reduce costs for participants. You can apply here: EV cable channel installation.

If you’re EV‑curious, there are a series of free events across the county where you can test drive EVs, try e‑bikes, and speak to experts about charging and ownership options. To see upcoming dates and details, visit: Go Electric: Oxfordshire.