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A new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, released yesterday (12 March), sharply rebukes the Department for Transport (DfT) and highlights critical disparities in the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. While the nation remains on track to meet its ambitious goal of 300,000 public charge points by 2030, the reality is far from equitable.
The report exposes a troubling regional imbalance: 43% of public charge points are clustered in London and the South East, leaving vast swathes of the country—especially rural areas—struggling with inadequate access. Motorway service areas, seen as essential to bolstering confidence in EV adoption, are also falling short.
Despite a government commitment for each of the UK’s 114 motorway service stations to have six ultra-rapid charge points by the end of 2023, only 80 sites have met this target. This shortfall undermines the push toward widespread EV adoption, particularly for long-distance travelers.
Adding to these concerns, the PAC report points to a glaring failure in government investment. In 2020, the Tory-led Government pledged £950 million to enhance electricity capacity along key roadways—a crucial step in future-proofing EV infrastructure. Yet, nearly five years later, not a single penny has been allocated.
Meanwhile, the Labour-led Government has promised a more aggressive approach, committing £2.3 billion toward EV infrastructure expansion, job creation, and the UK’s clean energy sector. Last week, this push materialized with plans to install 16,000 new charge points in the Midlands, signaling a move to correct regional imbalances.
PAC’s chair, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, 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.”
Beyond geographical disparities, the report spotlights social inequalities baked into the current charging rollout. Drivers without off-street parking—who must rely on public charge points—face significantly higher costs due to elevated VAT rates. Meanwhile, disabled drivers encounter another hurdle: none of the installed charge points fully comply with the accessibility standards that the DfT itself helped design.
The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme, which aims to fund local authority-led charging projects, is also moving slowly. With just 10 out of 78 projects approved by October 2024, local councils risk being forced into simultaneous procurement, potentially leading to market bottlenecks and project failures.
Brown added: “The Government must move at pace to overcome current delays and encourage take-up while taking the time to ensure no one gets left behind in this all-important shift to the future.”
The PAC report calls for immediate intervention, urging the DfT to:
Analyze regional demand for charge points and implement targeted solutions.
Provide transparency on LEVI funding, project completions, and support for local authorities.
Address the shortfall in ultra-rapid motorway chargers, particularly given delays in the £950m Rapid Charging Fund.
Monitor the impact of charging policies on different social groups and rectify VAT disparities between public and private chargers.
Finalise and enforce accessibility standards, ensuring all new charge points align with international best practices.
Clarify its long-term vision for a fully functional, equitable charging network—coordinating closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to integrate charging hubs into significant road developments.
ChargeUK’s chief executive, Vicky Read, said: “The PAC’s report is a welcome contribution to the conversation around charge point rollout.
“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 LEVI Fund, as well as clarity on the future of the Rapid Charging Fund.
“The sector welcomes the calls by the Committee to work with the Government to ensure EV charging is as convenient and affordable as possible.”
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 roll out 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 that could help terraced households up and down the country access cheap, reliable charging from their homes.
“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.”
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