Pudsey Bear
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Driving laws and rules you need to know for 2025
Stay up to date with the latest UK driving law updates for 2025. Learn about tax changes, costs for EV drivers and new mandatory safety tech.
New rules for 2025
- Thread starter Pudsey Bear
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CriftinsCampers
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Golly!
There’s some interesting stuff in there amongst the tax hikes.
The fuel finder and HGV safety schemes seem very sensible.
There’s some interesting stuff in there amongst the tax hikes.
The fuel finder and HGV safety schemes seem very sensible.
GeoffL
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So Scotland is about to join Wales with a 20mph blanket speed limit? However, the biggest gotcha -- and one I suspect will bite because of the law of unintended consequences is No. 4:
Now the fines are to be levied on "Charging Point Operators", which means the entity that owns the charging point or operates it on behalf of the owner -- and failure to maintain at least 99% availability could invoke a fine. So, assume that you own a business that would (perhaps out of good will) install a charge point or two that your customers could use while attending your business. Up until this rule comes/came into force, the downside to your charge point not working might be customer gripes plus loss of whatever profit you might have previously made. Now, just one instance of downtime (say, for four days) could more than wipe out any profit from that charge point. Also, there's a whole raft of other requirements that might involve considerable cost per charge point to meet. I can see many businesses removing charge points or declaring them only for the use of their customers. AIUI, Porsche have already stated that only Porsche EVs can now be charged at their points and I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla backtracked on their opening up the Tesla network to other marques.
www.legislation.gov.uk
4. New £10k fines for non-compliant EV chargers
Some good news! EV drivers can look forward to more dependable charging stations nationwide. From 2025, EV charging providers must ensure their chargers meet new government standards for reliability, accessibility, and ease of payment. Failing to comply could result in fines of up to £10,000 per charger. This move is aimed at improving the experience for EV drivers and ensuring consistent access to charging infrastructure.
Now the fines are to be levied on "Charging Point Operators", which means the entity that owns the charging point or operates it on behalf of the owner -- and failure to maintain at least 99% availability could invoke a fine. So, assume that you own a business that would (perhaps out of good will) install a charge point or two that your customers could use while attending your business. Up until this rule comes/came into force, the downside to your charge point not working might be customer gripes plus loss of whatever profit you might have previously made. Now, just one instance of downtime (say, for four days) could more than wipe out any profit from that charge point. Also, there's a whole raft of other requirements that might involve considerable cost per charge point to meet. I can see many businesses removing charge points or declaring them only for the use of their customers. AIUI, Porsche have already stated that only Porsche EVs can now be charged at their points and I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla backtracked on their opening up the Tesla network to other marques.
The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023
These Regulations are made using powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 (c. 18). They impose certain requirements on charge point operators that operate public charge points.
CriftinsCampers
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@GeoffL
In the proposed regs they do clearly define what is considered a public charge point and where they are located.
I think it’s a reasonable effort to sort out what had become a total shambles of multiple providers jumping on the bandwagon wagon with out of order machines or silly apps or access cards.
I do suspect though long term we will see just two or three suppliers ending up running the vast majority of them simply because of the huge markup they seem to be able to get away with charging for the electricity, and fines don’t seem to matter to huge companies as it’s always the customer that foots the bill.
Fortunately despite having EVs for nine years now I have only paid public charging rates maybe a handful of times and I wouldn’t be running an EV now at current electricity prices if I was committed to using them regularly it’s simply, on the kw to mpg equivalent scale, not sufficiently cost effective to do so
In the proposed regs they do clearly define what is considered a public charge point and where they are located.
I think it’s a reasonable effort to sort out what had become a total shambles of multiple providers jumping on the bandwagon wagon with out of order machines or silly apps or access cards.
I do suspect though long term we will see just two or three suppliers ending up running the vast majority of them simply because of the huge markup they seem to be able to get away with charging for the electricity, and fines don’t seem to matter to huge companies as it’s always the customer that foots the bill.
Fortunately despite having EVs for nine years now I have only paid public charging rates maybe a handful of times and I wouldn’t be running an EV now at current electricity prices if I was committed to using them regularly it’s simply, on the kw to mpg equivalent scale, not sufficiently cost effective to do so
GeoffL
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@CriftinsCampers
IMO, the issue isn't the desire to standardise etc.; it's the likely penalties to be imposed. I cannot see any reason why anyone would provide a public charge point now unless that is their main business. We've already seen Porsche 'pull the plug' on other marques and I can see similar happening in general. Entities will try to avail themselves of exemptions where they can but I suspect it'll mean an initial withdrawal of many charge points since the possible cost of compliance is way too high.
I agree with you that we will eventually see just a few suppliers running the public charging network and, unlike with filling stations -- where the site owners operate the station but sell a particular brand of fuel, entities like Gridserve, Ionity, etc. will own the lot.
People like you are lucky to be able to charge at home. However, AIUI ~30% of the population cannot as they don't have off-street parking suitable for a charge point. Also, this is skewed as the majority of those who don't have off-street parking live in towns and cities -- hence EVs are not a good match. Also, those who can charge at home typically enjoy subsidies -- i.e. they are sponging off the least-well-off members of society. I'm sure that's not their intention -- but when the Government says you can charge cheaply at home and they'll give you money off your fuel bill to do it, it's pretty hard to say "no"! Much better IMO would be to remove the subsidies on home charging and instead pass those subsidies to public charging to make EVs a better match for a larger proportion of the population -- but then I have a sneaky feeling that the aim was never to allow everyone to currently drives to have an EV!
IMO, the issue isn't the desire to standardise etc.; it's the likely penalties to be imposed. I cannot see any reason why anyone would provide a public charge point now unless that is their main business. We've already seen Porsche 'pull the plug' on other marques and I can see similar happening in general. Entities will try to avail themselves of exemptions where they can but I suspect it'll mean an initial withdrawal of many charge points since the possible cost of compliance is way too high.
I agree with you that we will eventually see just a few suppliers running the public charging network and, unlike with filling stations -- where the site owners operate the station but sell a particular brand of fuel, entities like Gridserve, Ionity, etc. will own the lot.
People like you are lucky to be able to charge at home. However, AIUI ~30% of the population cannot as they don't have off-street parking suitable for a charge point. Also, this is skewed as the majority of those who don't have off-street parking live in towns and cities -- hence EVs are not a good match. Also, those who can charge at home typically enjoy subsidies -- i.e. they are sponging off the least-well-off members of society. I'm sure that's not their intention -- but when the Government says you can charge cheaply at home and they'll give you money off your fuel bill to do it, it's pretty hard to say "no"! Much better IMO would be to remove the subsidies on home charging and instead pass those subsidies to public charging to make EVs a better match for a larger proportion of the population -- but then I have a sneaky feeling that the aim was never to allow everyone to currently drives to have an EV!
trevskoda
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The daft thing with ev cars is the charging, very few points here and if everyone had one the whole country will require dug up and cables as thick as elephants trunks run all over the place, this would take 20/30 years to do, then more powerfull electric stations to be built to cope with demand.
You will find the date will be changed as the country would go into meltdown, just remember almost 80% on the road are com veh moving goods
or sales/ repair men doing jobs all over the country every day.
Then there is at the moment no trade ins with ev cars as dealers dont want them back, i knew a chap took his 5 year old car back to traid and was offered £500, told we dont want them as if we sold and the battery failed within 6 mths we would be out 6/7 grand which is more then the car is worth, and i see there point.
You will find the date will be changed as the country would go into meltdown, just remember almost 80% on the road are com veh moving goods
or sales/ repair men doing jobs all over the country every day.
Then there is at the moment no trade ins with ev cars as dealers dont want them back, i knew a chap took his 5 year old car back to traid and was offered £500, told we dont want them as if we sold and the battery failed within 6 mths we would be out 6/7 grand which is more then the car is worth, and i see there point.
GeoffL
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Just noticed another potential gotcha in that article:
I followed this up and AFAICT, this doesn't apply to all HGVs -- just those over 12 tonnes, and I couldn't find an exemption for PHGV motorhomes over 12 tonnes. Additionally (and again AFAICT) none of the M25 is included in the restricted zone.
tfl.gov.uk
8. HGV safety permits mandatory in London
From 4 May 2025, all HGVs operating in Greater London must have a safety permit under Transport for London’s Direct Vision Standard (DVS). The permits are free of charge and assess the driver’s visibility of vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians. Vehicles with low visibility will need additional safety features, such as cameras and sensors, to qualify for the permit.
I followed this up and AFAICT, this doesn't apply to all HGVs -- just those over 12 tonnes, and I couldn't find an exemption for PHGV motorhomes over 12 tonnes. Additionally (and again AFAICT) none of the M25 is included in the restricted zone.
Direct Vision Standard and HGV Safety Permit Scheme
All lorries over 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight need to be granted a permit to enter or operate in Greater London. The scheme was created to improve the safety of all road users.
tfl.gov.uk