The rollout of public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in England is on track to meet government targets – but only 15% are in rural areas, prompting the public spending watchdog to call for a greater emphasis on where they are installed.
The National Audit Office (NAO) urged ministers to put “greater focus” on ensuring more chargepoints are installed in rural locations and regions outside the South East.
By July more than 64,600 public chargepoints had been installed, the NAO said, putting the rollout “on track” to meet the 300,000 estimated by the Department for Transport to be the minimum needed by 2030.
Public charging infrastructure is seen as key in encouraging drivers to make the switch to EVs – vital since the government committed to bringing the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans forward from 2035 to 2030.
But so far, the NAO report said chargepoint installation – which has largely been privately funded – has been led by the needs of early adopters of electric vehicles, resulting in a disproportionate number of UK chargepoints being in London and the South East.
The report also found that as of July, just 62% of motorway service areas (MSAs) reported having at least six ultra-rapid chargepoints – despite the previous Conservative government setting a target for all of them to have that level of charging capacity by the end of 2023.
The NAO also warned that the rollout “has not met the needs of drivers with disabilities”, with many chargepoints having features that make them inaccessible, such as being installed on kerbs, having a heavy cable or having features or instructions too high or too low.
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.
Maps illustrate the NAO’s point that while the rollout of public chargepoints is on track in terms of numbers, its distribution means people in rural areas will no doubt find it harder to access them.
According to the report, 44% of chargepoints are in London and the South East, due to the fact their installation was driven by the needs of people who switched to EVs early.
That means as of July 2024, London had more than twice as many chargepoints per 100,000 people than any other region. Areas with the fewest number of chargepoints per capita include the north of England.
The NAO also found that only around 15% of chargepoints in England are in rural areas.
The report said: “DfT has designed its current programmes to help address regional differences but has no specific targets for how public chargepoints should be distributed across different regions and across urban and rural areas.
“DfT’s ambition for the minimum number of public chargepoints by 2030 could be met without achieving the spread of chargepoints needed to support road transport across the whole country.”
The report also revealed a dearth in the number of public EV chargepoints on A-roads.
It described that 2020 goernment aims were for an “ultra-rapid chargepoint network along motorways and major A-roads”, including 2,500 ultra-rapid chargepoints by 2030, rising to 6,000 by 2035.
However, as of July 2024, there were 2,377 ultra-rapid chargepoints and 2,220 rapid chargepoints within a mile of the strategic road network.
“However, there are currently stretches of major A-roads where there are currently not enough of these chargepoints,” the report added.
It added: “There are stretches of major A-road where there are currently not enough rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints. There are stretches of major A-roads in the South West, West and the North where a vehicle with only 10% of its battery remaining would not be able to reach a site with at least six rapid or ultra-rapid devices.”
In addition to this, despite the government announcing in 2020 that its aim was for there to be six ultra-rapid chargepoints at each of the 114 motorway service areas by 2023, at the end of 2023 only around half of motorway service areas reported they had at least six, increasing to 62% by July 2024.
The DfT currently anticipates that around 100 sites will meet the target by July 2025, its report said.
Including rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints, there are an average of eight public chargepoints per motorway service area – but still a significant variation between different locations, with some having over 50 rapid chargepoints and two sites with none.
AA president Edmund King said: “It is vital that communities are not left behind, and the NAO is right to point out that northern and rural areas are not seeing installations at the same rate as the South.
“Similarly, we must ensure that the major A-road network can provide regular charging points.
“To provide confidence to drivers now and in the future, it is crucial that all road users, including those with mobility issues, can use public chargers easily.”
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Charging networks have already done a huge amount of work when it comes to installing the UK’s much-needed charging infrastructure, but there’s no doubt more needs to be done.
“Getting the necessary connections to the National Grid is vital to ensure no part of the country is left behind when it comes to being able to swiftly charge an EV.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re making good progress in rolling out chargepoints across the UK, with over 72,000 public chargers now available – a near 40% increase compared to December 2023.
“We’re also providing over £2.3 billion to support industry and drivers make the switch, and our measures are working, with EVs making up one in four of all cars sold this November.”
