What you need to know about Amendment 1 BS 7671:2018 18th Edition

The first amendment to BS7671, the 18^th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations, has been published with the inclusion of a new update on electric vehicle charging installations.

Section 722 includes the use of technology which was not included in the previous publication, BS 7671:2018, and according to the IET it is “enabling a more practical solution for the installation of charging points. Functionality built directly into charging equipment uses existing technology, but employed in a new way, allowing charging points to be deployed more widely than ever before.”

Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, is proud of the way that JPEL/64 has been able to respond to the changes in technology. He explains: “JPEL/64 has been able to address a new opportunity for electric vehicle charging equipment that provides a practical, cost-saving solution benefiting industry, consumers and government alike, to help the UK lead the way in the roll-out of infrastructure to support the electric vehicle revolution.”

When does Amendment 1 BS7671:2018 come into place?

Rather than in previous iterations, this update will come into to place immediately, and will form part of a consolidated version of BS 7671 when a new major amendment is expected to come into place in 2022 as per the IET.

Why EV charging?

The use of electric cars has rapidly expanded over the last couple of years, with the UK government encouraging more users over to electric vehicles following their proposal to ban the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars by 2035.

This also follows the proposal to invest more than £400 million into creating a charging infrastructure to help meet their emission targets.

With such a drive to a cleaner use of transport, there are more installers who are learning how to fit these charging points following an increase in demand both business and end users.