"there are all too many properties in the UK where home charging is ruled out by urban design"
Maybe true, but you don't have a petrol pipe at home next to your water one, do you? You fill your car up at a petrol station. Well, if boffins can build electric car batteries that can be charged at the same rate as fuel tank is filled, you don't need to charge at home just as you don't need to top your petrol up at home. In fact driver behaviour would be identical, and the difference would be the infrastructure requirements to wire up charging stations for high voltage