The UK Government has been slow to address gaps in charge point provision across the UK and needs to address calls for delays to the roll-out of infrastructure, according to a new report.
According to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), there continues to be patchy availability for electric vehicle (EV) charging plagues large swathes of UK motorways, and concerns around regional divides and inequalities for different groups of drivers.
As a result, and without action, there is a risk of these issues being “baked into the roll-out”, it has reported.
The PAC said that to instill confidence, charge points need to be installed in advance of need, with motorway service areas particularly act like a “shop window for drivers to feel secure that charge points are widespread”.
But evidence reveals a third of 114 areas have yet to meet Department for Transport’s (DfT) original ambitions for each to have six ultra-rapid charge points by the end of 2023.
In 2020, Government announced £950m to future-proof electricity capacity on strategic roads, but the PAC’s report finds that nearly five years later, the DfT had yet to issue any of this funding.
While Government is on track to reach the minimum 300,000 points needed by 2030, those installed so far have not been evenly spread across the country. Too few have been installed outside of the South-East and London, which currently host 43% of all charge points.
The report finds that rural areas may continue to be less commercially viable for operators and could require further government intervention.
It also raised concerns around the impact on drivers with disabilities, those without access to off street parking and disadvantaged groups. The interests of disabled drivers have been left behind in the rollout, with no charge points in the UK currently fully compliant with accessibility standards, which the DfT itself helped to create.
The report notes that drivers have no option but to rely on public charge points, in particular those without access to off-street parking, pay significantly more for charging due to higher VAT rates, typically 20% compared to 5% for domestic.
The report also highlights delays in the programme designed to support local authorities in England to install charge points where they are most needed. Only 10 out of 78 installation projects had been approved for delivery at October 2024, against a March 2025 deadline.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Committee, said:
“It is welcome to see the EV charging roll-out beginning to ramp up, with all the implicit benefits that bearing down on emissions will bring. But this roll-out is not currently taking place equally across the nation.
“Drivers need confidence that they can use an EV without any risk of getting stranded, or they won’t make the switch. It is imperative that the motorway network has a complete range of charging points as soon as possible to provide some confidence to drivers who wish to travel about the entire country.
“It is also of deep concern that the needs of disabled drivers are being ignored. Not a single charge point in the country is currently fully accessible. We are risking baking a serious injustice into the fabric of a major part of our national infrastructure. Government similarly needs to understand how to remedy financial inequalities for those who have no choice but to use public charge points.”
Industry reaction:
Matthew Adams, Head of Transport and Innovation at the Renewable Energy Association (REA), said:
“It is clear now more than ever that local authorities need continued support to ensure they have the capability required to rollout a whole range of charging infrastructure.
“To ensure infrastructure rollout continues at the same pace or greater we must also welcome all forms of charging infrastructure, including cross pavement solutions which could help terraced households up and down the country access cheap, reliable charging from their home.
“We must now help local authorities where charging infrastructure is not commercially viable and remove blockers where it is, unlocking billions from a sector ready to boost the UK economy and make our air cleaner.”
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK said:
“The Public Accounts Committee’s report is a welcome contribution to the conversation around charge point rollout. The committee has identified many of the same issues that ChargeUK has been working to address in recent years. And the recommendations echo many called for already by ChargeUK in our own research and publications.
“Nationally there are now over 75,000 public charge points and nearly one million overall. Charge point provision is running ahead of demand, but ChargeUK’s members want to roll out even faster, especially in areas where deployment has taken place less quickly than we would like.
“As the report highlights, the keys to ensuring this on a local level are the removal of delivery barriers and the speeding up of funding schemes, such as the Local EV Infrastructure Fund, as well as clarity on the future of the Rapid Charging Fund.
“On accessibility, ChargeUK and its members believe no drivers should be left behind in the transition to EVs. ChargeUK is actively working with Government, Motability and other disability groups to ensure all stakeholders with responsibility for charge point provision, which includes local authorities, private landlords and charging equipment manufacturers, are clear on the steps required to provide accessible charging.
“The sector welcomes the calls by the Public Accounts Committee to work with Government to ensure EV charging is as convenient and affordable as possible. Equalising VAT on public charging and support in reducing rising standing charges, would help widen access to more affordable public charging for drivers across the UK.”
Quentin Willson, Founder FairCharge, EVUK advisory board member, said:
“The PAC report confirms what every EV driver knows. We need more chargers, faster roll out, cheaper electricity costs and cutting the VAT on public charging. Creative solutions like Octopus’ Electroverse are making the consumer experience simpler and more effective by streamlining payment systems. The Government needs to work with industry and drivers to build what has become a critical national infrastructure imperative. Charge point operators have done well to deliver 75,000 chargers so far, but they need more help, support and determination from Westminster.”
Dr. Andy Palmer, Founder | CEO Palmer Energy, commented:
“The report in my opinion misses two vital points. One is the importance of home and work charging or better said, long dwell parking and its integration with public charging. The second is the adoption of technology such as commercial battery energy storage in conjunction with fast chargers to help regulate the cost of electricity per kWh; and this requires significant improvements in planning and grid connection planning approvals.
“Good progress is being made with public charging deployment, but geographic anomalies exist and the disparity of VAT between public and private charging is a major problem. There are two major inhibitors to adoption of EVs; the high purchase price and the cost of running them. The purchase price is addressed through scale and the presence of a prolific charging network allowing car batteries to be downsized. The cost of charging however must be a material difference to running an ICE – and this is achieved in part by equalising VAT between home and public charging.”
Cllr Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:
“Councils continue to play an important role in supporting the national transition to electric vehicles and keeping the EV charge point rollout on track.
“As this report confirms, there is much more to be done in ensuring wider availability of the charging network and the Government’s ongoing investment into local authority capability is helpful.
“There are many factors for councils to consider on public charge points, such as demand for road space, power supply availability, demand for EVs and resources available.
“Sufficient and long-term government funding is vital for councils to maintain progress on the rollout, especially against the significant pressures on statutory council services.”
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