Zoopla has introduced new EV-specific search functionality to its platform, allowing buyers and renters to locate the nearest on-street electric vehicle chargers to a property and filter listings by home-charging availability.
Zoopla is understood to be the first UK property portal to offer this feature, which has been developed in partnership with Vauxhall.
The move comes in response to research showing that 40% of UK drivers consider proximity to EV charging a key factor when choosing their next home.
A third (33%) of those surveyed said that a lack of accessible charging would actively discourage them from moving into a particular property — a figure that rises sharply to 84% among current EV owners.
Separate analysis from Zoopla shows that just 1.6% of listings on the property website explicitly mention EV charging in the property description, suggesting that many agents are missing an opportunity to showcase a feature of a property that is becoming increasingly popular.
Visitors to the Zoopla website and app can now filter property listings to only show those with a home EV charger. They can also locate the closest public charging point to an individual property using map and location data provided by Octopus Electroverse.
Zoopla will also display information on the distance between a home and nearest public charging point across property listings on its website and app, similar to how it currently displays information regarding the closest schools and train stations.
More than half of respondents – 54% – to Vauxhall’s research said they would find it useful if property marketplaces showed the proximity of the nearest on-street EV charging points for individual listings.4
Rich Hayes, chief operating officer at Zoopla, said: “We’re proud to be the first property website to offer consumers the ability to find the nearest on-street chargers to a property, and filter properties with home-charging. By improving Zoopla’s search functionality, our aim is that we will empower more confident moving decisions, particularly for current and future EV owners.”
Steve Catlin, managing director, Vauxhall, commented: “Moving house is one of the biggest decisions most of us make in our lifetime, and anyone who’s done it knows how much effort can go into finding the perfect home. As EVs become an even more common sight on our roads, more and more people will be prioritising charging access when thinking about where to live.
“Vauxhall is absolutely committed to electrifying Britain, so, as a leader in the property industry, Zoopla was the perfect partner to help drivers find a new home that will allow them to charge EVs with ease. Whether charging at home or on-street, we hope the features we have worked with Zoopla to introduce go some way to make decisions around buying and renting a new home that little bit easier for millions across the country.”
