14th Report - Public charge points for electric vehicles

Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee HC 512 12 March 2025
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Conclusions & Recommendations 31 items (5 recs)
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Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fourteenth report from Session 2024-25 · published 16 May 2025
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Recommendations & Conclusions

31 results
2 Conclusion
Update committee on LEVI programme progress, spending, procurement outcomes, and local authority support
Conclusion
Delays to the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme mean that local authorities need further support. The £450m LEVI programme supports local authorities in England to install charge points where they identify they are most needed. In setting up the … Read more
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3 Conclusion
Set out steps to address ultra-rapid charge point gaps on strategic road network
Conclusion
The Department has been slow to ensure the availability of ultra–rapid charge points at motorway service areas. Motorway service areas are vital for providing confidence to drivers that charge points are widespread and will be available on longer journeys. The … Read more
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4 Recommendation
Set out monitoring plan for Public Chargepoint Regulations, costs, and VAT impacts
Recommendation
The Department has put in place regulations to improve consumer experience, but some drivers pay significantly more than others to charge their vehicles. In 2023, the Department introduced the Public Charge point Regulations to address early consumer concerns around price … Read more
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5 Recommendation
Set out actions to improve charge point accessibility and align international standards
Recommendation
The interests of drivers with disabilities have been left behind in the rollout of public charge points. By 2035, 1.35 million drivers with disabilities are expected to be partially or wholly dependent on public charge points, but many charge points, … Read more
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6 Recommendation
Set out vision for public charging network and inter-departmental coordination improvements
Recommendation
The Department has more to do in planning ahead for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. The uptake of electric vehicles and rollout of public charge points is expected to increase over the coming years, as new petrol and diesel … Read more
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1 Conclusion
Shift to electric vehicles necessitates a comprehensive public charging network for all drivers
Conclusion
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Transport (the Department) about public charge points for electric vehicles.1 The government has committed to phasing out new petrol and diesel … Read more
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7 Conclusion
Public charge point requirements vary significantly by local area, influenced by diverse needs
Conclusion
Different areas have different requirements for where public charge points should be located and how many are needed. The Department explained that the proportion of public charge points in rural areas broadly aligns with their population and in general 86% … Read more
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8 Conclusion
LEVI programme struggles to address inequalities; operators favour commercially viable areas
Conclusion
However, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority reported to us that while the LEVI programme is attempting to mitigate broader regional inequalities, operators bidding for these contracts are still likely to focus on more commercially viable areas within regions. … Read more
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9 Conclusion
Current charge point per head metric fails to reflect regional variations effectively
Conclusion
The Department’s current measure of the number of ‘charge points per head’ in each region does not reflect the variations within regions, or what is required in the future.12 We challenged the Department as to what it would do if … Read more
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10 Conclusion
LEVI programme's dual funding model successfully engaged all eligible local authorities
Conclusion
The £450m LEVI programme supports local authorities in England to install charge points where they identify they are most needed.14 The Department has learned important lessons from previous schemes such as its On–Street Residential Charge point scheme. Many central government … Read more
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11 Conclusion
Local authorities faced delays due to unrealistic capability building and late procurement changes
Conclusion
However, the Department expected local authorities to move at a quick pace, and build their capability to plan for charge point for rollout at the same time as developing projects to deliver. As a result, it took local authorities longer … Read more
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12 Recommendation
Ensure ongoing support for local authorities to conduct successful, good-value charge point procurements
Recommendation
These issues have led to delays; by October 2024 only 10 out of 78 projects had been approved for delivery against a March 2025 deadline. These delays have meant that many local authorities are going to market at similar times, … Read more
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13 Conclusion
Ultra-rapid charge points on strategic roads crucial for motorist confidence and range anxiety
Conclusion
Public ultra–rapid charge points across along motorways and major A–roads (collectively known as the strategic road network) are necessary to address “range anxiety” amongst motorists. Motorway service areas in particular act like the “shop window” for providing confidence to drivers … Read more
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14 Conclusion
Motorway ultra-rapid charge point targets missed due to optimistic planning and grid connection issues
Conclusion
The Department had an ambition that operators would install six ultra rapid charge points at every motorway service area by the end of 2023. However, only around half installed that many charge points by that time, and by January 2025 … Read more
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15 Conclusion
Current ultra-rapid charge point benchmark insufficient for future demand and power capacity
Conclusion
The Department stated that there was not necessarily a very scientific underpinning for using six ultra–rapid charge points as its benchmark today, however, meeting charge point demand in the longer term might require much more than this, and in July … Read more
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16 Conclusion
Significant distribution gaps persist for ultra-rapid charge points on major A-roads
Conclusion
The number of ultra rapid charge points installed within one mile of the wider strategic road network has exceeded the Department’s expectations, with 2,377 installed by July 2024, against a target of 2,500 by 2030.27 However, distribution remains a problem; … Read more
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17 Conclusion
Rapid Charging Fund unspent after five years, creating industry investment uncertainty
Conclusion
In 2020 the Department announced the rapid charging fund, intended to future proof electricity capacity on the strategic road network in the longer term, by part–funding the capital costs of upgraded grid connections. However, nearly five years after its announcement, … Read more
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18 Recommendation
Determine actions to ensure public charging network meets needs of all drivers and remote locations
Recommendation
The uptake of electric vehicles and rollout of public charge points is expected to increase over the coming years, as new petrol and diesel vehicle sales are phased out. The Department’s 2022 electric vehicle infrastructure strategy contained a series of … Read more
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19 Conclusion
Electricity grid connection processes remain unfit for purpose, delaying charge point rollout
Conclusion
As with motorway service areas, many of these locations are limited by the strength of the local electricity network and the ability to enhance and connect to it. The Government recognises that the processes to receive electricity grid connections are … Read more
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20 Conclusion
Planning processes remain a bottleneck for charge point installation, increasing costs and delays
Conclusion
Similarly, many planning processes were not designed with charge point operators in mind, causing unnecessary additional cost and time. The Department explained that it had recently announced a series of changes to ease planning barriers and make it easier to … Read more
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21 Conclusion
Wider aspects like fire safety and charge point placement require further attention for EV transition
Conclusion
In addition to removing barriers to charge point rollout, enabling the transition to electric vehicles requires addressing wider aspects such as ensuring that charge point demand is considered when new major road schemes are created, and fire safety techniques are … Read more
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22 Conclusion
Public charge point use became too complex due to payment, pricing, and reliability issues
Conclusion
In 2021, the Department consulted on drivers’ experience of using public charge points, identifying that the use of public charge points was becoming too complex. In particular, there were too many different payment methods required between different operators, pricing was … Read more
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23 Conclusion
Public Chargepoint Regulations introduced to improve pricing, payment, reliability, and data for motorists
Conclusion
In 2023, the Department introduced the Public Charge point Regulations to address these concerns. These are being introduced over two years to November 2025, but most are already in force. Regulations that are in force include: • Making prices clearer … Read more
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24 Conclusion
Impact of new charge point regulations is only just beginning to be observed and monitored
Conclusion
When asked how it will monitor whether the regulations are working as intended the Department stated that it is only just starting to see the impact of these regulations and will keep them under review, in part 41 C&AG’s Report … Read more
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25 Conclusion
Drivers reliant on public charge points pay significantly more due to VAT and other costs
Conclusion
The Department expects that most people will charge their vehicles at home using private charge points, however, those reliant solely on public charging, such as those without access to off–street parking, pay significantly more to charge their vehicles. This is … Read more
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26 Conclusion
Department monitors public charging costs and promotes home charging access for on-street parking
Conclusion
The Department stated that it monitors the different prices charged by different networks, and models the costs of different charging behaviours, such as whether someone does all their charging overnight on a driveway or entirely on more expensive rapid charging … Read more
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27 Conclusion
Cost disparity for public charging disproportionately impacts demographic groups without off-street parking
Conclusion
The Department acknowledged that there are certain demographic groups who are less likely to have off street parking, meaning that people may pay more to drive electric vehicles due to the type of home they live in.49 For example, the … Read more
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28 Conclusion
Many public charge points remain inaccessible for disabled drivers despite new accessibility standards
Conclusion
By 2035, 1.35 million drivers with disabilities are expected to be partially or wholly dependent on public charge points, but many charge points, or their surrounding environment, have features which make them inaccessible. These include features such as charge points … Read more
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29 Conclusion
Accessible charge point standard remains unmandated and poorly understood by operators.
Conclusion
However, the Department has not mandated use of the standard. The Motability Foundation told us that two years on from its launch, there are still no charge points in the UK which are fully compliant with the standard. Charge point … Read more
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30 Conclusion
Component availability for accessible charge points hindered by international supply chains.
Conclusion
One of the barriers identified by charge point operators is the availability of components for an accessible charge point. Both the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) and the Motability Foundation report that most operators do not produce … Read more
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31 Conclusion
Public charge point network failing to meet disabled drivers' needs without standard.
Conclusion
Many disabled people are reliant on their cars as existing public transport does not adequately cater for their needs.58 Failure to address problems with the uptake of the standard will mean that the public charge point network will continue to … Read more
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