Key messages from CIHT:

• The proposed ZEV mandate will cause an increase in EVs on our road, without ensuring there are sufficient public chargepoints to support them.

• If the proposed ZEV mandate causes an imbalance between EVs and public chargepoints it should be revised to also incentivise providing a minimum number of public chargepoints, in line with the projected minimum numbers of ZEVs for each year.

The UK Government recently held a consultation on a proposed ZEV mandate, which will require car and van manufacturers to sell a minimum number ZEVs, increasing year on year, in order to meet the target of all new cars and vans being zero emission by 2035.

In response to this consultation, CIHT highlighted that although the ‘ZEV umbrella’ covers both hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and EVs, there are far more EVs on the road in the UK without the necessary infrastructure. Looking at the Government’s own vehicle licensing statistics data tables, [1] in the UK in September 2022 there were:

• 547,423 registered battery EVs.
• 183 registered hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

This suggests that as manufacturers attempt to meet the proposed ZEV mandate, it will be largely new EVs that we see entering the market. The success of the ZEV mandate will therefore rest on an expansion of EV charging infrastructure, particularly public chargepoints.

CIHT warned the UK Government not to let the ZEV mandate create an imbalance between the number of EVs on the road and the number of public chargepoints that serve these EVs.

CIHT believe that if the ZEV mandate is deployed in its current state, it should be regularly reviewed, and revised if it is found that it is causing significant pressure on our existing charging infrastructure. This revision should then incentivise the creation of more charging infrastructure, providing a minimum number of public chargepoints, in line with the projected minimum numbers of ZEVs for each year.

A recent report by the RAC supports our concerns that the UK doesn’t have sufficient public chargers for the number of current or future EVs on the road. The report revealed that the UK Government is unlikely to meet its target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at every motorway service area in England by the end of 2023.

Taking a closer look at the report, only 27 out of a total of 119 motorway services are currently meeting the target. [2] This means that there are only around 400 high-powered charging units at motorway services, capable of charging 682 EVs at one time, which is nowhere near enough to provide for the estimated 760,000 EVs [3] in the UK right now (May 2023).  

Earlier this year, CIHT published the findings of a workshop we held on site selection of public electric vehicle chargepoints.

Four headline messages emerged from the session:

• The regulatory framework needs to better support the roll-out of charging infrastructure
• Communication between local authorities and distribution network operators needs to improve significantly
• Competition between charging infrastructure and other uses of road and street space needs to be managed more effectively
• Local authorities need to collaborate and share what works

Charging infrastructure to support the transition from petrol and diesel cars to EVs is a vital part of a decarbonised transport system. Clearly more needs to be done, and the UK is at real risk of slipping behind the targets we need to reach if we are to get to net zero by 2050. Whilst the initial steps in this transition have focused on making funding available for chargepoints, the next steps will be to make sure this money is invested wisely to ensure that quality EV infrastructure is built for the whole country.

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[1] VEH0133, accessed on 15 May 2023.  

[2] Government not on track to hit motorway services EV charger target by end of 2023, RAC, May 2023

[3] EV market stats 2023, zapmap, May 2023

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