The National Audit Office (NAO) has stated that the UK is on track to meet its 2030 target for public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint installations, but cautions that significant barriers remain.
The UK’s public spending watchdog noted that as of July 2024, 64,632 EV chargepoints have been installed across the UK, in line with projections made by the Department for Transport (DfT) through the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV). However, the NAO adds that the estimate does not factor in where chargepoints should be installed, creating a significant regional divide between urban and rural areas, and even between the capital and smaller cities.
Around 44% of public chargepoints in the UK have been installed in London and the south-east of England, with London having more public chargepoints per capita than any other region. Meanwhile, rural areas in England host only 15% of English chargepoints.
The NAO also notes that the local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) programme, a £450 million fund that aims to support local authorities in rolling out chargepoints, has been facing delays due to local authority plans taking longer to develop than DfT anticipated and a failure to establish standard procurement routes. Additionally, the planning process required to build chargepoints was called “slower and more expensive than it needs to be” by the NAO, which it notes is a major hindrance to the UK’s chargepoint rollout.
Additionally, the lack of chargepoints on motorways and major A-roads is seen as a significant obstacle to the overall chargepoint rollout and the wider uptake of EVs across the UK.
Although the number of chargepoints installed on the UK’s strategic road network is significantly higher than the DfT’s expectations, the NAO notes that large stretches of A-roads lack sufficient chargepoints, and only 62% of motorway service stations have met the target of operating six ultra rapid chargepoints, which the DfT aimed to have every service station meet by 2023.
Several private companies are choosing to strategically locate the installation of new public charging hubs in order to fill gaps in the UK’s chargepoint network, with E.ON Drive choosing to develop its first public charging hub in Wales between the towns of Carmarthen and Llanelli specifically to fill a critical 20-mile gap in the charging network.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO said: “The 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.”
