A “lack of awareness” from local authorities on the timescales for EV charging infrastructure rollout could put charge point and Clean Air targets in jeopardy.

The Liberty Charge research looks at what’s holding up EV charging installs

A new study conducted by charge point operator (CPO) Liberty Charge has found that while the Government has made it clear it expects local authorities to support and deliver EV charge points, many councils don’t know the timescales involved in deploying such infrastructure.

And it’s warning that this could derail the Government’s 2030 ICE ban and 2050 net zero commitment.

Published as the Government prepares to roll out its LEVI fund, the survey targeted local authority professionals involved in EV charging infrastructure and showed that 85% of local authorities believe it will take less than two years to install EV charging infrastructure, including charge point strategy creation, and nearly half (48%) believe it will take less than a year – when the reality is closer to three years.

Before any installation works can begin, a local authority needs to define a charge point strategy, which includes recruiting an experienced lead. This process alone can take up to nine months.

If Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding is chosen, experience of the pilot scheme has shown it can take 12 months for a funding decision. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) says it will release the full fund in two tranches; in the financial year 23/24, and another in 24/25 – suggesting there could be another year to wait, if the initial application is unsuccessful. Six months is then required to identify the most appropriate sites, and a further three months for deployment – taking the total to 30 months, or 2.5 years.

But Liberty Charge says that the process can be reduced to less than 15 months by going directly to a CPO offering a fully funded solution. The firm says its own end-to-end provision, for example, delivers (post-strategy creation) within six months, with zero reliance on public funding.

With just 12% of the 300,000 charge point target planned by 2030 currently installed, Liberty Charge believes current progress is nothing short of glacially slow. And it says the UK is not going achieve the number of charge points needed to switch to electric transport unless installation pace is ramped up very significantly.

The survey also asked how long electric vehicle charging networks would take to install without relying on government funding, but still including strategy creation. Nearly six in ten (58%) believed it would take less than a year, and just 38% knew that a strategy was required to obtain government funding or appoint a private CPO.

CEO Neil Isaacson said that while it is encouraging that local authorities realise they can save time by not opting for government funding, less than a year is overly optimistic.

“It is important that the correct focus is placed on strategy development. The 15 months we estimate when not using government funding, includes nine months for strategy creation, which is a vital part of creating charging networks that truly meet the needs of all residents – not just those that currently own an EV.”

The research comes just a day after a separate study warned that local authorities in the South East are struggling to consult with communities on EV strategies, leaving them in the dark on charging needs.

The survey by Cornwall Insight and the Greater South East Net Zero Hub showed that only 18% had consulted with local businesses on an EV charge point strategy, while only half had spoken to local residents. And they say councils will face difficulties on understanding future demand for charging points in their respective areas.

Liberty Charge’s guide to charging implementation timescales:

9 – the number of months typically taken to recruit an experienced EV lead and create a local charge point strategy, without which funding will not be available

24 – the number of months before the full tranche of LEVI funding is released

6 – the number of months typically required to agree appropriate charge point locations

3 – the number of months required to deploy charge points

30+ – the total number of months required from start to finish of the process

15 – the number of months that can be saved by working with a fully-funded CPO