Overview
- A new £10 million competition will back technologies that let ultra‑rapid chargers operate with limited or no grid connection on England’s motorways and major A‑roads, with applications open until 25 March 2026.
- Projects must enable at least 12 vehicles to access ultra‑rapid charging delivering roughly 120 to 145 miles of range in about 15 minutes, using solutions such as on‑site renewables and battery storage.
- Separately, the government is consulting on plans to ease home charging for renters and households without driveways, including scrapping planning permission for discreet cross‑pavement cable gullies and requiring chargepoints in new covered car parks.
- Officials say the reforms could save around £250 in fees and let more drivers use cheap home EV tariffs, with running costs cited at about 2p per mile, or roughly £2.50 for a London–Birmingham trip.
- The measures are proposals rather than law, with officials engaging Ofgem on consumer protections and connections, and some reports noting local councils have blocked pavement‑gully applications despite national reform efforts.