Wednesday 5 December 2012

The GreenCar.com reports: London homeowners aren’t just offering their driveways as somewhere for commuters to park, but are now also offering them up as somewhere for EV drivers to charge their cars.

A new partnership between Parkatmyhouse.com, energy company SSE, Chargemaster and Source London means that for the first time, drivers entering the capital will be able to reserve a charging space in advance, using Parkatmyhouse.com’s network of driveways available for rent.

Homecharging on the driveHomeowners in London are being offered the installation of electric car charging points free of charge, if they agree to make them available to rent to other EV drivers, doing their bit to reduce the capital’s transport emissions.

Normally worth £1,500, the charging points offer homeowners a chance for a useful additional revenue stream, giving them the opportunity to make money from both their available parking space and charge point, at times when they, themselves don’t need them.

Currently drivers cannot book charge point spaces in public places in London in advance. This new service will give EV drivers peace of mind, knowing that they can now reserve a space to charge at someone’s home, freeing them from ‘range anxiety’.

Chargemaster, in partnership with SSE, expects to install 200 charge points over the coming months, adding to the 800 already in place as part of TfL’s Source London scheme. The charge points installed through ParkatmyHouse.com partnership will appear on the Source London map of charge points.

One homeowner, Mark Jabbal from Uxbridge, West London, has received over 75 parking bookings at his house since signing up earlier this year to ParkatmyHouse.com. He is among the first of the website’s homeowners to take up the offer of a free charge point. He said: “It’s great to be able add to the services I can offer drivers, Now they can park and charge their cars at my house. I’m also planning to buy an electric car so there’s an additional benefit for me too.”

The parking space is reserved by booking online using ParkatmyHouse.com. All the driver needs do is enter the time and place they want to charge and then book the charge point. Ten points have already been installed at spaces listed on the site. The cost for charging an EV set by the homeowner and added into the overall charge for the space.

Anthony Eskinazi, CEO of ParkatmyHouse.com commented: “We are hugely excited to be involved in this programme. Not only will this provide EV drivers with additional charge points throughout the capital, and help speed up the adoption of electric cars in London, but it will also enable homeowners to generate a new source of income from EV drivers.”