The UK Government has been urged to increase the number of electric vehicle charge points across the country as new data shows poor availability outside of London.

As part of a market study into electric vehicle charging, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) assessed whether the industry can deliver a “comprehensive” charging network that works efficiently.

At present, the UK has around 25,000 charge points. However, forecasts suggest that the country will require ten time this amount by 2030 as the government looks to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

Electric vehicles are a key component in government plans to reach net zero goals by 2050. As such, infrastructure development to accommodate for growing demand is crucial, the CMA said.

CMA research found that some areas of the electric vehicle charge point market are developing “relatively well,” with charging at public locations such as shopping centres, workplaces and private parking growing steadily.

However, the regulator raised concerns about the choice and availability of charge points at motorway service stations, where competition is often limited.

The CMA revealed it has opened an investigation into the dominance of a specific provider, Electric Highway.

Similarly, the roll-out of on-street charging by local authorities, which it said many drivers will come to rely on, is too slow. Rural areas also risk being left behind due to a lack of investment and support.

Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said a key concern currently is that the British public faces a “postcode lottery” with regard to access.

Regional inconsistencies pose a significant challenge to electric vehicle uptake in the long-term. London, for example, boasts 80 public charge points per 100k of population – far above the UK average of 34.

Data shows there are 43 public charge points per 100k in Scotland, making it the most accessible place outside of London to publicly charge an electric vehicle.

In England, where the average stands at 34 public charge points, the situation for many British motorists is dire. The number of public charge points per head in Yorkshire and the Humber is just a quarter of those in London.

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“Electric vehicles play a critical role in meeting Net Zero but the challenges with creating an entirely new charging network should not be underestimated,” Coscelli said.

“Some areas of the roll-out are going well and the UK’s network is growing – but it’s clear that other parts, like charging at motorway service stations and on-street, have much bigger hurdles to overcome,” he added.

The CMA report outlined a series of recommendations to address current issues, including greater alignment between devolved governments.

Funding support for local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of on-street charging must be a key focus for the government, the CMA added.

Other recommendations call for the government to:

• Attach conditions to its £950m Rapid Charging Fund to “open up competition so that drivers have a choice of charging provider at each service station.”
• Create an electric vehicle charging sector that “people can trust and have confidence in, including tasking a public body with monitoring the sector as it develops to ensure charging is as simple as filling up at a petrol station.”