EV charger rollout in UK slows amid political uncertainty and rise in installation costs | Automotive industry
The UK’s rollout of electric vehicle chargers has slowed due to tough cost pressures and uncertainty over government sales targets.
Charging companies will install 5,100 public charging points in the first half of 2026, bringing the total to 121,171, according to data company Zapmap. This was a 10% increase from the same point the previous year; It was well below growth rates of over 40% in 2024.
Although the rate of growth is expected to slow as the network grows, it needs to remain high to meet the UK government’s target of 300,000 public chargers by 2030 and to accommodate growth in electric car sales. The number of electric vehicles on British roads exceeded 2 million in April.
But charger installations have slowed significantly in the past two years due to concerns about the pace of the move away from gasoline and diesel engines.
The car industry in the UK and Europe has been lobbying the government hard to weaken sales targets known as the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which has led to a rapid increase in the number of electric cars sold each year.
The Labor government has already added loopholes, known as “flexibility”, to the order introduced by the Conservatives in 2023. The flexibilities allow automakers to sell more gasoline-powered cars, and the government is also considering cutting its headline target for EV sales from 80% to 50% by 2030.
Jarrod Birch, Head of Policy and PR ChargeUKa lobby group for the charging industry, said: “The public charging network has doubled in the last three years and fast charging is growing fastest, with nine in 10 built outside London in the last 12 months. “This is a British success story, funded by private investment on the certainty of future customers provided by the government’s ZEV mandate.
“But this mandate has been debated for three years under two governments. With the policy once again surrounded by skepticism, it is not surprising that investors are hesitant.”
‘Zap map’The figures show that companies are focusing particularly on ultra-fast chargers and the number increased by 37% compared to the previous year.
Ultra-fast chargers, which can deliver more than 150 kilowatts (kW) of power, are often positioned on the sides of highways and main roads so drivers can charge quickly on longer trips. This means they tend to be more profitable than standard or fast chargers because companies can charge higher prices and serve more drivers each day.
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Quick Guide
Electric vehicle charging speeds
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Not all chargers are created equal
More and more people are buying electric cars and having to deal with charging for the first time. However, not all chargers are created equal and the multitude of units can cause confusion.
Charging speeds are measured by power output in kilowatts (kW), while battery capacity is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). For example, the battery capacity of the Nissan Leaf is 39kWh, and the battery capacity of the Tesla Model Y is 60kWh.
Recharge times vary depending on battery size: Divide battery size by power to get a rough idea of how many hours it will take to charge. (For example, a 60 kWh battery lasts about three hours on a 22 kW charger.) The faster the charge, the more it costs.
Slow: up to 8kW
It’s common in homes, street chargers, and places where cars hang out, like parking lots or hotels. It is suitable for charging overnight. Plugging the UK three-pin plug into the home mains will provide approximately 2.3kW of power; but this is not recommended.
Fast: 8kW to 49kW
It is found in urban areas such as supermarkets, shopping malls or parking lots. It is capable of charging a smaller battery in a few hours.
Fast: 50kW to 150kW
It is often found near major roads for journey charging, but is also increasingly found in places with short waiting times, such as supermarkets or gyms. 50kW can provide an 80% charge in less than an hour.
Ultrafast: 150kW and above
Most chargers installed at motorway services or private charging centers are now at least 150 kW. Most new cars can now handle 150kW and many can charge at speeds in excess of 300kW, providing a range of hundreds of kilometers in around 10 minutes.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Zapmap’s co-founder and chief operating officer, said installations in the first half of 2026 still represent a “stable rollout” overall, with “high growth” in the ultrafast segment.
He added that councils were finally introducing chargers funded by the government’s local electric vehicle infrastructure (Levi) scheme. The funding aims to provide more street chargers to people without private parking.
“The number of Levi-funded tenders increased and these – usually street chargers – began to be introduced locally,” Shufflebotham said. “This, along with the increase in councils supporting kerbside charging and an increase in local charging rates at supermarkets, car parks and fuel depots, will encourage more and more drivers to switch to electric.”
The challenging environment for compensation companies, which also face intense industry competition and rising costs, has led to predictions of a wave of mergers and acquisitions as stronger players snap up struggling rivals. One of the largest companies InstaVolt acquired the smaller GeniePoint network last week.
