LONDON – The government has scaled back a previous commitment of £950 million for installing electric car chargers on highways, opting instead to allocate a smaller amount primarily for street charging points.
The Rapid Charging Fund (RCF), initially announced in 2020 by then-chancellor Rishi Sunak, aimed to bolster grid improvements for faster electric vehicle charging.
However, the RCF faced delays due to concerns that it coudl unfairly benefit certain highway companies.
The transport department stated that the RCF was never formally included in budget plans, implying the pledge lacked financial backing.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that ministers were considering diverting the proposed funding away from highway services, a move that drew criticism from the industry.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed £400 million to “support the introduction of charging infrastructure” in this month’s expenditure report, following an earlier announcement of £200 million in the autumn budget.A critically important portion of this expenditure is expected to support street charging points in underserved areas where private sector investment is lagging.
Some industry figures have expressed concern that the government has not fully allocated the initially promised £950 million, even if the funds are redirected to other incentives to encourage EV adoption.
John Lewis,CEO of Char.gy,welcomed the £400 million pledge but questioned whether the entire amount could be directed towards EV initiatives beyond street charging to boost consumer confidence in switching to electric vehicles.
According to ZAP MAP, the number of electric car chargers in the UK has rapidly increased, exceeding 80,000 in May.
Expanding the availability of public chargers is considered crucial for encouraging the adoption of electric cars. The focus has shifted from fast chargers, wich alleviate “range anxiety” on longer journeys, to slower street chargers that cater to car owners without private parking.
Ian Johnston,CEO of Osprey Charging,suggested that new funding should be strategically allocated to projects where network connections render sites unviable,such as underserved regions or specific highway locations not initially intended for rcfs.
Johnston also advocated for changes in road signage regulations to improve the visibility of charging points for drivers.
Quentin Wilson argued that the full £950 million should be invested to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
“It is not a good look for the government to find unused RCF Funds and not to channel to other EV charging initiatives,” he stated. “It opens up to them obvious questions about thier commitment to the EV transition.”
Wilson,also urged the government to reduce the VAT on public charging to align with the lower rates available for home electricity.
A representative of the transport department said: “The rapid charging fund was designed to support the introduction of charging infrastructure on highways and the main A roads – the previous government did not disallow them to deliver detailed plans to supply it.
“Since the announcement of the Foundation in 2020, the market has changed significantly, with open access fast and particularly rapido charge points one mile from the strategic road network almost quadrupled in the last three years.”
