UK’s EV chargepoint network is a curate’s egg, report finds

A new National Audit Office (NAO) report has found that while the UK is on course to meet its target of EV chargepoints, there are geographical gaps in coverage, and more needs to be done to meet the requirements of disable motorists. 

The government has set a target of 300,000 chargepoints across the UK by 2030 and, as of July this year, 64,632 have been installed, which is in line with DfT’s expectations of where we should be at this point.

However, as the report points out, an electric vehicle charging network should be just that – a network – and while the number of changepoints adds up, it is being seen that a disproportionate number of them are concentrated in the South East.

A massive 44% of the UK’s public chargepoints can be found in London and the South-East, with only 15% being located in rural areas. 

The report is peppered with these ‘hits and misses’ – success stories tempered by reservations. For example, the ambition of having 2,500 ultra-rapid within a mile of the strategic road network by 2030 has nearly been met already (we’re at 2,220). On the other hand, motorway service stations are way behind schedule. The blame for this, the report has found, lies largely with the Department for Transport for failing to understand the expense and complexity of  electricity grid upgrades.

By July 2024, 62% of motorway service areas reported had at least six ultra-rapid chargepoints but again, the greatest concentration of these is in the South East.

The DfT’s local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) programme (which runs until March 2025) has also been less effective than it might have been, with the process proving to be more arduous than originally expected:

‘It took local authorities longer to develop plans to DfT’s standards than expected, and many intended to use a procurement route found to be infeasible late on in the programme. These issues have led to delays; as of October 2024, while virtually all local authorities had developed projects and were in the process of refining these, only 10 projects had been approved for delivery against a March 2025 deadline. Delays have meant that many local authorities will approach the market at a similar time, with concerns that this may lead to failed ‘procurements.’

Many changes have been implemented recently which aim to improve the user experience of charging a car, but the report notes that drivers with disabilities still face specific challenges such as chargepoints placed on kerbs or with obstruction presenting difficulties for wheelchair users.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO said: ‘Government’s estimate of the 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints needed by 2030 appears achievable, although there is more to do to ensure adequate coverage in all parts of the country. Government is using regulation to improve the user experience of public chargepoints and needs to address access for people with disabilities.’

The full report can be read here.