Ministers slam ‘patchy and delayed’ public EV charging roll-out

The UK’s public charging network is patchy, delayed and failing to meet the needs of all drivers, according to a highly critical report from the UK’s spending watchdog.

While the network is growing rapidly, the Public Affairs Committee report warns that charger distribution remains far too concentrated around London, creating a ‘stark’ regional divide, as well as remaining uneven along the country’s motorway network. It also said that the needs of disabled drivers were not being addressed, and highlighted the huge disparity in costs between public and private charging.

The report noted that while the country was on track to meet the 300,000 chargers target by 2030m, London currently has 43% of all public chargers. It warned that less attractive commercial prospects for charging firms meant rural areas risked being left behind without government intervention.

Ministers also attacked the Department for Transport for missed targets and delayed funding on motorway chargers. The report said that motorways should act as a ‘shop window’ for EV charging to give drivers confidence in the network. However, it noted that around a third of service stations still did not meet the DfT’s target of having at least six ultra-rapid chargers – a target that should have been met at the end of 2023.

It also pointed out the DfT had failed to deliver any of the £950 million earmarked in 2020 for supporting charger roll-out on the strategic road network. And it highlighted 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.

The PAC’s chair, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, said the government must ‘move at pace’ to overcome delays and make sure no-one is left behind in the EV transition. He said: “Meeting numerical targets for charging points is all very well. Delivering thousands of points allowing Londoners to easily zip around the capital while leaving the rest of the UK’s network patchy is obviously an outcome to be avoided.

“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.”

‘Remove barriers and speed up funding’

Vicky Read, CEO of charging industry body ChargeUK said the PAC report echoed many of its own findings and recommendations. She commented: “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.”

The report also warned that disabled drivers were being left behind, with no charge points in the UK currently fully compliant with accessibility standards set out in 2022.

It called for urgent action to address this, and for a cut in VAT on public charging to ensure those without off-street parking were not disadvantaged by higher charging costs compared with domestic tariffs.

Clifton-Brown added: “We are risking baking a serious injustice into the fabric of a major part of our national infrastructure. It similarly needs to understand how to remedy financial inequalities for those who have no choice but to use public charge points.”

Vicky Read said that ChargeUK’s members were working to address accessibility issues, noting: “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.”