UK. Government ‘well short’ of its 2023 motorway services high-power EV charger target

The RAC announced the Government has failed to hit its own target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at each motorway service area in England by the end of 2023. Only 39% of service areas reviewed by the motoring organisation via Zapmap now had the target number of chargers rated over 50kW.

“It’s clear from our research that the government has fallen well short of its target of having six high-powered chargers at every motorway service area in England, “ said RAC spokesperson Simon Williams.

Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents car and commercial retailers across the UK, said, “In our recent Consumer Attitude Survey, 57% of the respondents who stated they were not interested in purchasing an electric vehicle attributed this to a lack of charging facilities in the UK.

“Whilst the NFDA has welcomed recent announcements by the Government including a £70 million pilot scheme to boost the number of ultra-rapid charge points at motorway services, there is still more that needs to be done. As we enter the new year, the UK government needs to ensure that it meets targets to meet increasing consumer demand for electric vehicles.”

Despite missing its target, the number of rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at motorway service stations was up from 23% at the end of April 2023, with 55% of service areas now had an ultra-rapid facility. On average, each service area in England now has 4.9 rapid or ultra-rapid chargers, up from 3.4 at the end of April 2023.