UK EV Charging Rollout Criticized for Regional Disparities and Accessibility Failures

A parliamentary report highlights uneven charger distribution, delays in infrastructure projects, and challenges for disabled drivers in the push for electric vehicle adoption.

• The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns that nearly half of public EV chargers are concentrated in London and the South East, leaving rural and regional areas underserved.
• Not a single charging point in the UK fully complies with accessibility standards for disabled drivers, despite guidelines introduced in 2022.
• Drivers without access to home charging face significantly higher costs due to a 20% VAT rate on public charging compared to 5% for domestic electricity.
• Government targets for EV infrastructure, including six ultra-rapid chargers at all motorway service stations by 2023, remain unmet, with only 80 of 114 stations achieving this goal.
• Of £950 million allocated for EV infrastructure upgrades on strategic roads, none has been spent, and delays persist in local authority charging projects under a £450 million program.

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