Amendment 1 to the 18th Edition on Electric Vehicle Charger Installations

The IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology) has recently published Amendment 1 to BS 7671 – 18th Edition wiring regulations, which contains an updated Section 722 (Electric Vehicle Charging Installations).

The new amendment refers to electric vehicle charging points – an ever growing sector, which is only set to grow further following the recent announcement made by the Boris Johnson – Prime Minter, to bring the ban on sales of new Petrol and Diesel powered cars forward from 2040 to 2035.

What has changed?

The regulations have changed around the earthing of electrical charging equipment at electric vehicle charging points, making the installation of EV charging equipment safer, easier and quicker and will reduce the cost of installations for both the consumer and the installer. This is due to advances in technology that weren’t available when BS 7671:2018 was first published.

Amendment 1 to BS 7671:2018 – Section 722 (electric vehicle charging installations) only

The following unit overview has been taken from the IET website which is free to view

The changes made to this section include:

Protection against electric shock

Regulation 722.411.4.1 concerning the use of protective multiple earthing (PME) supply has been redrafted. In addition to changes to the existing information, two new indents have been added:

(iv) to cover a single-phase installation, and

(v)  to allow the use of an alternative device to those in (iii) or (iv) which does not result in a lesser degree of safety than using (iii) or (iv)

Regulation 722.411.4.1 does not allow PME to be used to supply an EV charging point unless one of the methods described in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v) of 722.411.4.1 is used.

The new and amended requirements around PME are intended to keep pace with technology, while increasing the ability for an installer to use PME on EV charging equipment installations. This means that more charging points can be installed, helping the rollout of EV infrastructure across the country.

The updated BS 7671 18th Edition Wiring Regulations is available to buy or view on the IET’s website.

How do I get qualified?

To take advantage of the opportunities available in this rapidly growing sector, now is a great time to get yourself qualified to become a specialist and Certified EV Charging Point Installer.

We offer three EV Charging Point training courses, which we run in partnership with Rolec. These include:

  • C&G 2919-01 Electric Car / Vehicle Charging Point Installers Course – This 2 day course is designed for fully qualified electricians and installers. It is intended for those looking to enhance their current skillset to allow them to install domestic, commercial and ‘on street’ vehicle charging points.
  • C&G 2919-02 Domestic EV / Car Charging Point Installation Course – This 4 day course is designed for Domestic Installers wishing to upgrade their knowledge and learn how to install, fault find and inspect and test domestic car charging points.
  • Domestic Electrician & EV Charging Package – This 22 day course designed for those new to the industry, or in a similar trade, who wish to carry out both domestic installations and offer a standalone domestic car charging point installation service. The new 18th Edition course is also included in this package. Free taster sessions are available for this course.

Approved Installers Scheme

As part of our partnership with Rolec, on passing any of the courses listed above, and as long as you are registered with an industry recognised scheme, you will be eligible to be registered on their Approved Installers Scheme. Once registered you will appear on their national database of installers which can lead to referrals for installations in your area.