Government’s Ambitious EV Charging Target Likely to be Missed

A new study from the RAC raises serious concerns about the UK government's ambitious plan for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.  

The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy included a £950m Rapid Charging Fund, aimed at accelerating the rollout of high-powered chargers. But despite this, the RACs report suggests that the government may fall short of its goal to install six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV charging points at each motorway service station across England by the end of 2023. 

According to the RAC's comprehensive review of 119 motorway services on Zapmap, only 23% have reached the government's target. That's a little over a quarter, an uncomfortable fact when one considers the estimated 760,000 EVs on UK roads today. To meet the demand of this expanding fleet, a robust charging network is vital. Yet, the RAC's study paints a stark picture of the current scenario. 

Key findings from the report include: 

• There are about 400 high-powered charging units at motorway services, capable of charging 682 EVs simultaneously. 

• An average of just over three rapid or ultra-rapid chargers are available at each motorway service across England. 

• Six motorway services in England, including Leicester Forest on both sides of the M1 and Tebay South on the M6, lack any high-powered chargers. 

RAC's EV spokesperson Simon Williams stressed the gravity of these findings. "Our report shows much work is needed to meet the government's end-of-year target," Williams said. "The process of connecting these charging units to the grid is expensive and time-consuming. However, more must be done to simplify this process and ensure sufficient high-powered charging is readily available." 

Williams also warned that a lack of charging facilities is becoming a deterrent for potential EV drivers, risking the government's target of 80% of new cars sold being zero-emission by 2030. 

There's more. The latest statistics from Zapmap reveal that out of the 42,566 charging devices in the UK, only a fifth are rapid or ultra-rapid. When combined with the RAC's findings, they found that a mere 5% of all high-powered chargers are at motorway services. 

Collaboration between the government, EV manufacturers, and infrastructure providers is crucial to overcoming the challenges and putting the country on the fast lane to a green, electric future. 

Despite the hurdles, the future of EVs in the UK remains promising. Particularly if you’re looking at selling one. TaxiPoint recently reported that 5-year-old LEVC TXs were coming on the market at around £40k. That’s a loss of around £15k from new. Although a significant amount, this shows that EVs have a significantly higher residual value that traditionally fueled vehicles.