Prominent transport and environment groups have called on the Transport Minister to adopt recommendations made in a recently published roadmap to charge point success.

The Transport Minister has been urged to take action on the recommendations in the report to ensure the UK’s charging infrastructure is fit for purpose

The report, issued last month by electric vehicle trade group Recharge UK (part of the REA Association for Renewable Energy & Clean Technology), shows how charge point deployment can keep up with the growth in UK EV sales.

Now, the REA, Zemo Partnership, FairCharge and the Climate Group have penned a joint letter to Jesse Norman stressing the need to implement the recommendations set out in the report to ensure the UK’s charging infrastructure can meet needs in the run-up to 2030.

The report sets out key recommendations while also providing insights into which parts of the UK are likely to see high levels of public charging demand to support distribution network operators (DNOs) and National Grid with additional data. It also calls for more joined-up thinking between stakeholders involved in accelerating the transition to clean energy and transport – and stresses the need for action at a local level but also with leadership from national and devolved governments.

Dr Nina Skorupska, chief executive of the REA, has now urged the Department for Transport to take forward a number of recommendations from the report. These include work to prioritise charge points in connection queues and improve local authority involvement, a new right to charge for tenants in multi-storey flexibility and the ZEV mandate. She also stressed the need for a van charging standard amongst other areas.

Skorupska said: “By adopting the recommendations in this report, the Government can achieve its target of reaching 300,000 charge points by 2030, creating new jobs and driving economic growth. We firmly believe that the recommendations of this report provide the opportunity to reinvigorate the charge to net zero transport. This will help end criticism of the capability of charging infrastructure to meet future demand and directly address the geographic inequalities of charging infrastructure that are reported today.”

Quentin Willson, founder of FairCharge, said it was essential that the UK has the political leadership and resolve to create a charging infrastructure that both reassures consumers and generates UK growth, investment and jobs.

“2023 has seen the largest number of charging connections ever and charge point operators have pledged a further £6 billion by 2030. The UK is in a global race to secure EV and charging investment, but we risk becoming last if we don’t have enough connections to support the many billions being spent by the likes of Tata, JLR, Ford, BMW and Stellantis. A word-class charging infrastructure will keep our UK car industry globally competitive. Building it as fast as we can is critical.”

And Andy Eastlake, chief executive of Zemo Partnership, said the report showed that “the provision of EV charging is a complex challenge of energy generation, storage, distribution, delivery and information – it’s not just about providing a socket”.

He continued: “Enhancing the skills base and improving resources in every area of planning, local authority, consumer communication and charge point installation will be critical for success.”

To access the Recharge UK report on ‘Charging forward to 2030’, please click here.