If you’re thinking about switching to an electric car, long-distance travel might be more of a challenge than you’d expect. A lack of charging points on UK motorways is making road trips difficult, and the rollout of new chargers isn’t happening fast enough to fix the problem.
Right now, only a third of the 114 motorway service areas identified by the Department for Transport (DfT) have reached the target of installing six ultra-rapid chargers. This means large parts of the country still have major gaps in charging infrastructure, leaving many EV drivers wondering if they’ll even be able to charge up when they need to.
MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have warned that this uneven rollout could seriously damage driver confidence. If people don’t believe they can rely on the UK’s charging network, they may hesitate to switch to electric vehicles. The committee also highlighted a clear divide in charger availability, with nearly half of the UK’s 73,000 public chargers located in London and the South East. This leaves rural drivers—along with disabled drivers—struggling to keep up with the Government’s push toward electric mobility.
On top of that, the programme designed to support local councils in installing chargers where they’re most needed is moving at a frustratingly slow pace. Out of 78 planned projects, only 10 have been approved for delivery.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the PAC, warned "This roll-out is not currently taking place equally across the nation.
"Delivering thousands of points allowing Londoners to easily zip around the capital while leaving the rest of the UK’s network patchy is obviously an outcome to be avoided.
"Drivers need confidence that they can use an EV without any risk of getting stranded, or they won’t make the switch.
"It is imperative that the motorway network has a complete range of charging points as soon as possible to provide some confidence to drivers who wish to travel about the entire country.
"The Government must move at pace to overcome current delays and encourage take-up while taking the time to ensure no one gets left behind in this all-important shift to the future."
He also warned that the Government risks creating a major inequality in national infrastructure, as disabled drivers’ needs are being overlooked in the rollout of charge points.
The Department for Transport insists that progress is being made. A spokesperson stated, "We’re rolling out our chargepoint network at lightning pace, and there are now more than 74,000 public chargers are in place across the UK - with a new one added to the network every 28 minutes.
"We’ve seen a 53 per cent boost in the number of chargers within a mile of the Strategic Road Network, and a 45 per cent rise in chargepoints across rural areas in 2024, helping ensure drivers are always close to a socket, no matter where they are."
However, for EV drivers outside London, these numbers may not be particularly reassuring. Until charging points are more evenly distributed and motorways are properly equipped with ultra-rapid chargers, range anxiety will continue to be a major barrier to the UK’s electric vehicle transition.
