The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) published a seven-point plan on 16 February 2022 calling for mandated targets for public chargepoint rollout, backed by an independent regulator, to be set as a condition of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate1. The plan proposes a new body, "Ofcharge" (the Office of Charging), to monitor the market including charging price levels and affordability, and to enforce regulated minimum standards1.
The SMMT said the plan is intended to ensure every driver in Britain can benefit from a charging network that is "affordable, available and accessible to all"1. It sets out seven steps: embedding consumer-centricity in policy and a national plan; a nationally coordinated but locally delivered infrastructure plan; significant investment to uplift all types of charging infrastructure ahead of need; binding targets for adequate public chargepoint provision and social equity; proportionate regulation; enabling support to incentivise delivery; and future-proofed electricity networks1.
The plan rests on the gap between vehicle uptake and charger growth. The SMMT said plug-in cars on the road grew by 280.3% between 2019 and 2021, while standard chargepoints increased by just 69.8% over the same period; battery electric cars in the parc rose by 586.8% while rapid and ultra-rapid charger stock grew by only 82.3%1. It said plug-in cars accounted for more than one in six new cars in 20211. Since 2011, it said, government, local authorities and the charging sector delivered a 3,000% increase in standard public chargepoints, from 1,537 connectors in 2011 to 48,770 by the end of 20211.
The SMMT also reported a regional divide in provision, based on Department for Transport charging device statistics and its own parc data1:
| Region | End 2020 (electric cars to standard public chargers) | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| North of England | 1:37 | 1:52 |
| South | 1:26 | 1:30 |
On rapid charging, the SMMT said the UK's provision of one rapid charger per 32 battery electric vehicles is the best in the Western world, behind only China (1:11), South Korea (1:12) and Japan (1:17)1. It said public chargers remain critical for commercial fleets and for the third of British households that do not have designated off-street parking1.
"Our plan puts the consumer at the heart of this transition, assuring them of the best possible experience backed by an independent regulator. With clear, equivalent targets and support for operators and local authorities that match consumer needs, government can ensure the UK has a chargepoint network that makes electric mobility a reality for all, cutting emissions, driving growth and supporting consumers across the UK."
Why it matters for households
For a household with a driveway, most charging happens at home, and the public network matters mainly for longer journeys. For the third of households without designated off-street parking, public chargepoints are the primary means of charging, so the density, reliability and price of that network bear directly on whether running an electric car is practical1. The SMMT's figures show provision per electric car worsened in the north of England during 2021 even as the national stock grew, which means the practical experience of charging varies by where a household lives1. The proposed regulator would cover charging price levels and affordability as well as minimum standards, areas that determine what a driver pays away from home1. The SMMT's forecasts, if its plan is acted on, put the UK car parc at 9.3 million plug-in cars by 2030 (27.0%) and 18.4 million by 2035 (54.8%), of which 6.9 million (20.1%) and 15.3 million (45.6%) respectively are zero-emission1.
What happens next
The plan is a set of proposals from an industry body, not government policy. The SMMT has called for binding targets to be attached to the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and for Ofcharge to be created, but no government response or timetable is set out in its announcement1. The SMMT said car makers have more than 140 plug-in models on the UK market, with 55 more to be launched in 20221.