UK aims to build 300,000 public charging points by 2030. ChargeUK’s white paper, “Powering Ahead to 2030,” reveals that the UK installs a new public electric vehicle charging point every 25 minutes. The charging network powers 500 million miles of driving each day. The report advises the new Labour government to optimize its electric vehicle strategy to accelerate technology adoption. Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, states that the UK charging industry has become a key player in the green economy in just over a decade. It supports over one million electric vehicles with essential infrastructure and rapidly expands to meet future charging needs. ChargeUK’s analysis shows that the UK has over 930,000 public, home, and workplace charging points. This infrastructure serves 1.1 million electric vehicles, providing nearly one charging point for each vehicle.
The UK’s electric vehicle charging network provides nearly 7 gigawatts of power daily. Each electric vehicle in the UK can travel 580 miles a day. This distance exceeds the journey from London to Aberdeen. Together, they cover over 500 million miles.
The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission reported in May 2024 that if growth continues, the number of public charging points in the UK will exceed 300,000 by 2030. ChargeUK stated that to maintain current growth and achieve the 2030 target, the charging industry needs government support. This support should eliminate delays in the grid, planning, and permitting processes. It should also integrate renewable energy power into the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Act to speed up charging point installations. Additionally, reducing the charging and sales prices of electric vehicles is crucial. The UK must unify the VAT on charging, lower electricity costs, improve signage, and support the use of new, used, and fleet electric vehicles. Moreover, the UK must encourage private investment. To achieve this, the country must clarify the rapid charging fund, accelerate the development of local electric vehicle infrastructure funds, address rising fixed fee issues, and advance heavy truck charging infrastructure.