Spending watchdog highlights north-south divide for EV chargepoint rollout

The National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that the number of public electric vehicle chargepoint installations is currently on track to meet the 300,000 target for the year 2030 set by the government but coveraging is suffering fro a north-south divide 

As of July 2024, 64,632 electric vehicle chargepoints had been installed.

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), this means the UK is on target to reach its goals for chargepoints.

Despite the positive outlook for the EV charger targets, the NAO report stated that more needs to be done to ensure that there is ‘adequate chargepoint coverage outside London and the South-East’.

NAO also believes that the government needs to ensure that the rollout meets the needs of drivers with disabilities in the UK.

While the overall number of chargepoint installations is on track, the estimate does not account for where chargepoints should be installed.

This has created the divide as currently 44% of all public chargepoints in the UK have been installed in London and the South East. The capital has more chargepoints installed per capita than any other region.

In order to reach a wider adoption of electric vehicles, rural areas will need help charging their EVs.

The report showed that only 15% of chargepoints in England are in these areas.

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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, so we very much hope the promise of streamlining the planning and connection process quickly bears fruit.”

Following the release of the data, 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.

“Government is using regulation to improve the user experience of public chargepoints and needs to address access for people with disabilities.”