A quarter of England’s major A-roads have at least one EV charging ‘cold spot’, indicating that major holes still remain in the country’s EV infrastructure.

OZEV is monitoring 29 out of 107 major A-roads on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) for having at least one EV charging ‘cold spot’ along them

EV charging company Zest has revealed that the Government is monitoring 29 out of 107 major A-roads on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) for having at least one EV charging ‘cold spot’ along them.

‘Cold spots’ relate to locations along an A-road on the SRN where a vehicle with only 10% of its battery remaining would not be able to reach a site with at least six rapid or ultra-rapid devices. The term has been defined by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, which is monitoring the provision of UK charging on these major roads.

10% battery equates to 16 miles based on the remaining range for an average van in 2024. The range for an average car is 21 miles, but the UK government uses vans in its modelling as a more challenging scenario to measure against.

The Department for Transport (DfT) also monitors the distance to one charger, and under this definition of a ‘cold spot’ there are only cold spots on the A30 (South-West) and A66 (North) for about a 15-20 mile stretch each.

The findings suggest positively that three-quarters of Britain’s major A-roads do not contain ‘cold spots’, but these roads are generally shorter and make up a smaller proportion of total mileage.

Robin Heap, CEO and founder of Zest, said it was encouraging that the Government is monitoring strategic A-roads, but added that OZEV must recognise that rapid charging hubs on the strategic road network are on track primarily because they are commercially viable.

“The reality is that most people need convenient access to charging at or near their homes or workplaces to make the switch to EV. We urge the Government to rethink how it defines a ‘cold spot’ to ensure densely populated areas with low charging availability – particularly those without driveways – are not left behind.

“It is also worth considering whether public funds, such as the £950m Rapid Charging Fund (RCF), which currently supports commercially viable motorway service areas, could be more effectively directed towards ‘cold spots’ on A-roads and local charging solutions for communities that may never attract commercial investment.”

List of major A-roads classed as containing at least one ‘cold spot’

A DfT spokesperson said: “As part of our Plan for Change, we are committed to delivering the charging infrastructure the country needs for electric vehicles, including on our strategic road network.

“A reliable, accessible public charging network to support EV drivers on long journeys is essential, and we’re making great progress, with over 5,250 rapid and ultra rapid chargers available within just one mile of our strategic roads – a more than 50% increase in a year.

“But we know there is more work to be done to improve distribution across the network, which is why we are working closely with industry to target Government support where it’s most needed.”

The findings have been published by Zest a week after the UK reached a milestone of 75,000 total public chargers.

A separate article from The Independent says planning reforms to be unveiled in Parliament this week will help cut red tape for communities and businesses seeking permission for electric car charging points from councils.

The measure in the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill will allow for a direct application to the DfT, cutting paperwork hassles and making the process much faster and cheaper.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told The Independent that the Bill would make it easier to install chargers, marking “a win for businesses, local communities and the taxpayer alike”.