People have been accused of electric vehicle shaming but many agreed the person was selfish for parking up on the pavement to charge the BMW with the cable stretching over the front garden

An image of an electric car being charged-up on a pavement has caused a big stir online.

The picture was uploaded to facebook after a resident in Cardiff, Wales, spotted the electric BMW while on a walk, reports WalesOnline.

A cable can be seen stretching from the home over the front garden of the property, connecting to the charging point of the car.

It has sparked a big debate online about the practicality of electric vehicles – and the loss of pedestrianised spaces.

The dad who uploaded the photo said a big re-think is needed. He captioned the post: “Genuinely staggered to come across this on a walk with the baby.

“Since the 1900s we’ve given so much space over to petrol cars.

“We can’t allow the small pockets left for people to be given over to electric cars.”

But things didn’t end there, with more people chipping in with their views on the subject.

One responded: “This just won’t do. It’s obstructing the footway with a vehicle – its mode of propulsion does not change that.”

That was echoed by another user, who said: “You don’t get to block the pavement with your private property, go and charge it somewhere else.”

Other agreed saying the car owner was being selfish.

“If you want to connect to the house give up your garden don’t ask me to give up the footpath,” said a third before adding: “I would be tempted to walk over that.”

But not everyone saw eye-to-eye on the debate.

One person posted: “How about you finding an issue where there isn’t one? Plenty of room to get past, they’re just trying to create the safest situation they can.

“Would you prefer a long cable draped across to the road? Because that’s their other choice here. Find something real to get annoyed about.”

Another fumed: “EV [electric vehicle] shaming – I get it’s annoying, but that is a pretty wide pavement.”

“I notice the car deliberately parked very close to wall to give max space on other side and to avoid a trip hazard cable.”

Earlier this month, in a speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new legislation that will require new homes in England to have electric vehicle charging points installed from 2022.

Supermarkets and workplaces will also be required to have the charging points installed as well as homes undergoing major renovations.

The government has already announced that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end in the UK in 2030 and it is hoped the new laws will mean up to 145,000 new charging points will be made available every year.