Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
14th Report - Public charge points for electric vehicles
Public Accounts Committee
HC 512
Published 12 March 2025
Conclusions (4)
13
Conclusion
Deferred
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 that charge points are widespread.23
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation regarding the necessity of ultra-rapid charge points on the strategic road network. They will provide an update in September 2025 on rollout progress, gaps, and next steps to address these.
14
Conclusion
Deferred
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 only 80 out of 114 met this target. The Department …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation regarding the slow rollout of ultra-rapid charge points and acknowledges the challenges. They will provide an update to the Committee in September 2025, outlining work to understand provision gaps and next steps to address them.
15
Conclusion
Deferred
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 2024 only around 10% of motorway service areas in England …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation regarding the benchmark for charge points and power capacity. They will provide an update to the Committee in September 2025 on the rollout of ultra-rapid chargepoints, including understanding provision gaps and outlining next steps.
16
Conclusion
Deferred
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; for example, there are stretches of major A–roads in the …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation and commits to providing an update in September 2025 on the rollout of ultra-rapid chargepoints, including work undertaken to understand existing distribution gaps and outlining next steps to address them.