Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed the number of public EV charge points in the UK has reached 75,000.
The milestone was achieved following £200 million of government funding and private investment.
The government is now 25% of the way there in terms of hitting its target of 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030 and the Department for Transport (DfT) also revealed its adding one new charge point to the network every 28 minutes.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was enthusiastic about the announcement and said: “Today is an important day in our EV transition.
“With prices coming down, new models constantly introduced on the market, and a public charging network expanding at lightning speed, there’s never been a better time to make the switch to an EV.”
Despite the announcement, some MPs think otherwise. As the South-East and London currently host 43% of all chargepoints, concerns have
been raised about the supply and accessibility of them on motorways and in other regional areas.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report on 12 March describing the infrastructure as ‘patchy.’
Members suggested drivers could lack the confidence to make the switch due to there being less charging infrastructure in wider parts of the UK.
They called for charge points to be installed in advance, believing that once they are in place, people will be more confident to make that transition.
Although the government is on track to hit its 2030 charge point target, the report also found only 10 out of 78 installation projects had been approved for delivery at October 2024, against a March 2025 deadline.
It stressed these delays could cause local authorities to procure for projects at similar times, posing the risk that the market may not have the capacity to serve them all.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Committee initially welcomed the introduction of more EV charging infrastructure but stressed the roll out is currently not taking place equally across the nation.
“Drivers need confidence that they can use an EVs 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,” added Geoffrey.
The government currently has plans for an additional 100,000 street and local charge points, which are expected to be installed in the coming years in smaller towns and rural areas.
CILT(UK) reached out to the Department for Transport for further comment regarding the PAC’s report.
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said: “We’ve seen a 53% boost in the number of chargers within a mile of the Strategic Road Network, and a 45% rise in charge points across rural areas in 2024, helping ensure drivers are always close to a socket, no matter where they are.
“We’re backing the sector by investing over £2.3 billion to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs, creating high-paid jobs, tapping into a multi-billion-pound industry and making the UK a clean energy superpower to deliver our Plan for Change.”
Concerns were also raised regarding accessibility issues with charge point for disabled people to which Geoffrey added: “It is also of deep concern that the needs of disabled drivers are being ignored.
“Not a single chargepoint in the country is currently fully accessible. We are risking baking a serious injustice into the fabric of a major part of our national infrastructure.”
Responding to this the DfT spokesperson added: “The government is dedicated to ensuring all electric vehicle drivers, including those with disabilities, can easily access public charge points that meet their needs.
“We are continuing to work with industry to increase adoption of standards for accessible EV charging infrastructure.”