UK government targeting 10-fold increase in EV chargers by 2030

Publication of the new EVIS, announced late last week, came shortly after publication of a report in which industry experts from across finance, infrastructure, energy, local government and EV charging called for a ‘step change’ in the ambition of the UK’s EV charging rollout to deliver the government’s 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, and support the UK’s net zero goals. 

The report, published by EV charging infrastructure specialist Connected Kerb, draws on consumer research and insights from 11 industry-leading experts, including EY, UKPN, Motability and Mitie Group. It outlines what national and local government, investors, developers and charging point providers must do to ‘ensure the UK is able to deliver ubiquitous, affordable and easy-to-access charging points for all’.

EV registrations are exploding in the UK, says the report – up 154% year to date in February 2022 compared to 2021– and are forecast to outstrip diesel and hybrid sales by the end of 2022. However, public EV charging isn’t keeping pace and the ratio of EV charge points to plug-in cars deteriorated by 31% during 2020 alone.

This puts the UK’s current ratio (16:1) behind other countries including South Korea (3:1), the Netherlands (5:1), France (10:1), Belgium and Japan (both 13:1). The report estimates that the number of charge points will need to increase 10-fold by 2030 to cater to the new numbers of EV drivers.

This figure is what the UK government is now targeting under its newly announced EVIS, which includes a £450mn local EV infrastructure fund that will focus on charging hubs and on-street chargers.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented on the strategy’s release: ‘We’re powering ahead with plans to help British people go electric… clean transport isn’t just better for the environment, but is another way we can drive down our dependence on external energy supplies.’

Meanwhile, Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: ‘Solving the EV charging challenge is absolutely fundamental to achieving a cleaner, and fairer transport future. There is an opportunity ahead of us to make a real and positive impact, reducing UK transport emissions, whilst positioning the UK as a world leader on EVs. Our report highlights the need for a collaborative approach between different stakeholders within the industry and identifies a roadmap to ensure the UK’s charging infrastructure is fit for purpose, ready to unlock a future of zero-emission transport.’

The report notes that while rapid and ultra-rapid charging is developing well in public spaces such as car parks and motorway service stations, drivers want affordable and easy-to-access chargers to be installed on virtually every residential street across the UK. Some 80% of respondents to a survey said that reliable and affordable chargers located where their car is parked while at home is ‘essential’ or ‘very important’ to their decision on switching to an EV, states the report.

According to the UK government, the goal of the new EVIS is to ensure EV chargepoints are ‘installed ahead of demand, inspiring confidence in drivers who have not yet made the switch’, and rolled out ‘where they are needed the most nationwide’. 

It also aims to tackle ‘some of the key bugbears of current EV drivers’, such as providing bankcard access or equivalent at chargers alongside phone payments, and setting standards on price transparency, reliability and open data. 

The government also plans to step up the delivery of high-powered chargers on the strategic road network for people making longer journeys, with a £950mn rapid charging fund to support the rollout of at least 6,000 high powered chargepoints across England’s motorways and major A-roads by 2035. 

However, the strategy also states that the private sector has a critical role to play in providing convenient, affordable and reliable charging for all, noting that there is already ‘a proliferation of public chargepoints at supermarkets, gyms and tourist attractions, installed without government support’. 

Looking to the future, the government says its goal is to ‘completely integrate charging with [the UK’s] smart energy system, delivering benefits to the grid, and the potential for lower cost, or even negative, electricity tariffs for those willing to charge flexibly’. Ultimately, charging an EV should be easier, cheaper and more convenient than refuelling a petrol or diesel car, wherever you live, it says. 

Supporting the UK government’s target of a 10-fold increase in EV chargers by 2030, BP has unveiled plans to invest £1bn in the country’s EV charging infrastructure over the next decade. 

The investment will see BP Pulse, its EV charging business, approximately triple the number of public charging points in its UK network and accelerate the roll out of 300 kW and 150 kW ultra-fast charging points that are able to provide EV drivers up to 100 miles of range in around 10 minutes of charging, depending on the EV model. It will also allow the company to upgrade its current EV charging technology across its public charging network to improve reliability.