The majority of councils across Britain are now fully compliant with national public charging standards, marking major progress in building a reliable EV charging network for drivers and business fleets.

Drax Electric Vehicles contacted 205 councils with Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and received responses from 178, with 154 confirming they currently operate active public chargers.

Of those, 143 provided compliance data. More than two-thirds (67%) reported full compliance with the Public Charge Point Regulations (PCPR) 2023; up from just 47% in 2024. Just 6% of councils report complete non-compliance with regulations; down from 21% in 2024. And the number of councils citing technical or funding challenges has fallen to 21%, down from 42% last year.

The FOI request also found that the number of public charge points has now reached 30,651, up from 20,979 last year. Of these, 82% of are fully compliant, compared with 58% in 2024.

Adam Hall, director of energy services at Drax Electric Vehicles, said: “This is the second year in a row we’ve conducted this analysis and I’m pleased to see genuine progress in modernising public charging. Councils have responded quickly to new requirements, which is great news for fleets that depend on dependable, accessible infrastructure, as well as everyday drivers. But the next regulatory phase will test consistency further. Ongoing collaboration between councils, government and private partners will be vital to maintain that progress.”

The PCPR rules came into effect on 24 November 2024 with a focus on ensuring “the experience of consumers using public charge points across the UK is consistent and positive”.

The current framework requires charge points to offer contactless payment, maintain 99% reliability for rapid units, provide a 24/7 helpline and support open data access via OCPI.

And from November 2025, additional measures come into effect, including roaming interoperability and expanded open data sharing to make cross-network charging simpler for drivers

While challenges remain for a small number of councils, the overall picture is one of sustained improvement and growing readiness – which, Drax said, should give fleet operators and EV drivers confidence in the reliability of public charging.

Naomi Nye, EV charging spokesperson at Drax Electric Vehicles, said: “Compliance has come a long way in just 12 months, but the job isn’t finished. Roaming and data transparency will raise the bar again, giving drivers and fleets a smoother charging experience wherever they travel. The focus now must be more ambitious, moving from just meeting regulations to optimising networks for greater performance and reliability.”