New analysis has shown that the UK is on track to miss its electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint target by 2030. The government promised to deliver 300,000 EV chargepoints in four years, but based on last year's growth rate, it is set to fall short by nearly 130,000.
This raises concerns over whether the government's £1.6 billion commitment to EV infrastructure is being undermined by ongoing charging failures that may also be driving manufacturers away from the market. Honda has scrapped three forthcoming electric models, absorbing a £12 billion loss and its first annual deficit in nearly seven decades. Honda is far from alone. Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen, Ford, Volvo, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, and Maserati have all trimmed or abandoned their EV ambitions over the past year.
The problem was never the product itself, but closing the gap between promise and practicality has proved far harder than the industry was willing to admit. Founder and GAP insurance expert at ALA Insurance, Simon England, has shared his perspective on the growing retreat from EVs across the industry.
He said: "The industry looked at early adoption figures and assumed the tipping point was closer than it actually was. The truth is, until charging infrastructure feels as reliable as a petrol station and purchase price is within reach of ordinary buyers, most drivers will stick with what they know. Cars like the Renault 5 have shown that when the product is right and the price is honest, people will buy. What is harder to stomach is the government that mandated the transition, then scrapped the plug-in car grant, introduced road tax on EVs, and still failed to deliver on their own charging infrastructure targets."
In March 2022, the government committed £1.6 billion to delivering 300,000 public chargers by 2030. There are currently just 118,321 in place, and ALA's analysis of EV chargepoint infrastructure data suggests that at last year's rate of growth, the network would reach only around 171,000 by 2030, falling nearly 130,000 short of its target.
Mr England added: "You cannot look at those numbers and not wonder whether this is part of the reason so many manufacturers are stepping back from EVs."
