The UK government cuts red tape for chargepoint installations

The UK government has confirmed that drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private EV charging sockets, unlocking potential savings of up to £1,100 a year compared to running a petrol or diesel car.

According to the Department for Transport, there are now nearly 80,000 public chargepoints available in the UK, with nearly 3,000 public charging devices added in April alone.  

EV inequality is major barrier to UK’s zero-emission transport goals

However, a new report from Cornwall Insight warns that affordability and unequal access to charging are key barriers to the UK meeting zero emission transport goals, especially for lower-income households without off-street parking.  

The report highlights that while 80% of current EV owners benefit from cheaper home charging, around 75% of UK street-side households – particularly in lower-income, urban areas – lack driveways. As a result, these households must rely on more expensive public or workplace chargers if they purchase an EV. Public charging is estimated to cost over £1,500 more per year compared to using an off-peak home charging tariff.

Expensive public charging, combined with the high up-front cost of EVs (around 40% more than petrol or diesel alternatives) is undermining the environmental and financial benefits of switching, according to the report. The second-hand EV market also remains significantly more expensive than fossil fuel alternatives, further limiting access to EVs.

The report calls for urgent action to be taken on subsidies, affordable financing and charging infrastructure, or millions will continue to be priced out of the EV transition and government targets will likely be missed.

Tilly Boultwood, Analyst, Cornwall Insight, comments: ‘Affordability is now a critical barrier to EV adoption. If EVs remain the preserve of the wealthy, the transition to zero-emission transport will be delayed and uneven. If you only target one section of society, you will eventually run out of customers. Government intervention is essential, not only to subsidise up-front purchase costs but also to address high public charging prices that disproportionately affect those without access to private home charging.’

Urgent investment in battery innovation needed

Meanwhile, a report by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, on behalf of the Automotive Council UK, has said that the UK automotive industry and its supporting supply chain must act now to invest in critical battery technologies if the country is to stay competitive in the global transition to zero-emission vehicles.

The report identifies a number of key innovation areas essential for securing the future of the UK automotive industry in the transition to zero-emission vehicles. These include advances in battery materials (such as silicon-blended anodes and LMFP cathodes), new manufacturing techniques like dry-cell processes, and the development of hybrid and semi-solid-state batteries. These innovations will be central to addressing persistent barriers to EV adoption, including range limitations, charging speed, affordability and sustainability, the report says.

The report also emphasises the critical role of supporting technologies such as in-use battery monitoring software and battery recycling infrastructure. These developments will ensure greater battery efficiency, safety and environmental performance over the entire product lifecycle. Digitalisation and investment in advanced manufacturing equipment are also highlighted as essential to improving production scalability and reducing costs, positioning the UK to meet both domestic and global EV demand.

Overall, the report calls for urgent and coordinated investment from government, industry and academia to capitalise on the UK’s current momentum in battery innovation. It notes that without timely action, the UK risks falling behind international competitors in securing the economic and environmental benefits of the EV revolution.