ChargeUK, the charging industry association, published a report by analysts LCP Delta on 10 June 2025 setting out the economic contribution of the UK electric vehicle charging sector to 2035. The report, "Powering a decade of growth: the economic impact of UK EV charging", puts the sector's direct added value at £2.5 billion a year, totalling £15.5 billion by 2035, and says the wider EV sector could be worth £385 billion over the same decade1.
The report states that EV charging has a £2.5 billion annual turnover today, expected to climb to over £8 billion yearly by 2035. The industry spent £587 million in infrastructure capital in 2025, a figure expected to reach £8.4 billion over the decade, and the analysis indicates it could attract £30 billion in external investment as margins improve and assets increase in value1. All figures are given as net present value, discounted at 3.5 per cent using UK Government Greenbook guidance, over a forecast horizon of 2026 to 20351.
On employment, the report says 12,000 people are directly employed by the UK EV charging sector, a figure anticipated to more than double to 35,700 by 2035. Including indirect jobs through the supply chain and induced effects, this doubles again to 71,500, with a total of 334,000 anticipated across the EV sector1.
The report is based on LCP Delta's forecasts assuming current government policy with no further changes to the ZEV Mandate, which sets EV sales quotas. A separate survey of ChargeUK members found that investment could halve, a potential reduction of up to £2 billion in capital expenditure on infrastructure rollout, if the mandate is weakened. If action is taken to address the cost of public EV charging, including VAT equalisation with home charging and relief from fixed energy costs, operators' responses indicated an investment upside of as much as £5.7 billion in the same period. Strengthening the mandate, such as reversing the flexibilities introduced in 2025 allowing manufacturers to borrow credits and sell more plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, has the potential to accelerate charging investment by 40 per cent in the next five years1.
Vicky Read, chief executive of ChargeUK, said:
"The EV charging sector is already a British success story with more than 1.7 million chargers, including over 120,000 on the public network. This is the infrastructure that has made the sale of two million EVs possible."
Why it matters for households
The report's figures describe the network that sits behind a household's decision to run an electric car. It states there are more than 1.7 million chargers in the UK, including over 120,000 on the public network, and that this infrastructure has made the sale of two million EVs possible1. For a home weighing up an electric vehicle, the density and reliability of that public network is the practical backstop for journeys beyond the home charge point, and the report's investment figures indicate how quickly it is expected to grow.
The survey findings point to the cost of public charging as a lever on investment. ChargeUK's members linked VAT equalisation with home charging, and relief from fixed energy costs, to an investment upside of as much as £5.7 billion over five years1. The gap between VAT on public charging and VAT on domestic electricity is covered in our guide to why public EV charging VAT is higher than home charging. For homes that cannot charge off-street, the public network is the only option, and its pricing and coverage shape the running cost comparison against petrol or diesel.
The report also frames charging as part of a secure energy system, in ChargeUK's words, alongside cheaper, cleaner driving1. Households considering a home charge point can find the practical requirements, from electrical requirements for a home EV charge point to RCD protection, in our EV charging hub.
What happens next
The ZEV Mandate is under consideration as part of a planned review due to conclude in early 20271. The report's investment scenarios are tied to that review and to the UK's 2030 deadline for 80 per cent of car sales to be electric1. No decision on the mandate has been reported.