The UK government has been urged to improve signage for electric vehicle charging sites, following a rejected planning application that aimed to highlight the issue. InstaVolt, the company behind the application, is calling on both national and local government to act, arguing that inadequate roadside signage is a significant barrier to wider EV adoption.
Rejected Planning Application Sparks Call for Action
The planning application, submitted in November 2025, proposed a non-functional advertising wind turbine at InstaVolt's flagship Winchester Superhub. Its purpose was to draw attention to the ongoing failure to provide adequate roadside signage directing drivers to public charging infrastructure. The application was rejected by the local planning authority.
Delvin Lane, Chief Executive Officer of InstaVolt, said: “We’re delivering on our commitments to build critical EV infrastructure using private investment, and we need government to deliver on its promises as well. We’ve faced an ongoing battle with signage, and we know more can be done.”
Government Commitment Yet to Translate into Action
The Labour Party government has publicly committed to improving signage for EV charging as part of its wider strategy to support the transition to electric vehicles and meet its target of ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. There are currently over one million EV drivers in the UK who could benefit from the change.
But InstaVolt believes this progress has stalled. Without clearer coordination between Whitehall and local government, the company argues, commitments made at a national level will continue to stall before they translate into action on the ground.
InstaVolt Calls for Coordinated Effort
Lane added: “We’re doing everything we can to make charging simple and convenient for drivers, but too often people still struggle to find charging locations easily. That creates unnecessary friction for drivers and risks slowing wider EV adoption. The government has been clear that improving signage for EV charging is a priority. A year on, we are still waiting for that to translate into action. Drivers deserve better, and the wider EV transition depends on it. We will keep making that case until something changes.”
