ANALYSIS: EV charging industry sets up association to help shape its future

A new trade body for the burgeoning EV charging industry is aiming to provide a major impetus for the sector. John Wood reports

PM charging BP Pulse

Then prime minister Boris Johnson had a photo shoot with a charger in Downing Street

Since 2021, when the government committed to phasing out internal combustion engines in transport, a succession of politicians have tried to enhance their green credentials by staging a photoshoot with them charging an electric vehicle. From the then prime minister Boris Johnson awkwardly trying to use BP Pulse equipment in 10 Downing Street in July 2021, to endless shots of the then transport secretary Grant Shapps unveiling new sites, a wide range of charge points have been props in a bid to raise the profile of EVs – and MPs.

But while the range of companies seeking involvement in this burgeoning market and the rapidly developing range of chargers has been impressive, the differing ways they operate and interact with consumers has added an additional layer of complexity to the process of developing a national network. For this reason alone the formation of ChargeUK, a new trade association for the EV charging industry, is welcome. If the 19 founding members, which include BP Pulse and Shell ReCharge, can collaborate to share best practice and help simplify the customer experience, it will be welcomed by EV drivers.

At its launch, ChargeUK chair and CEO of Osprey Charging Network Ian Johnston said it will work collaboratively with government and other stakeholders to break down barriers and shape the policies and regulation needed to enable the UK to transition to net zero. He added: “We will continue to be a proactive partner to government as we deliver a world-class charging infrastructure, giving the nation’s drivers confidence to transition to electric vehicles.”

One of the biggest issues facing EV owners has been the slow roll-out of chargers compared with the increasing number of new electric vehicles on our roads and ChargeUK was keen to emphasise how its members would be addressing the problem. It announced that its members would jointly be investing more than £6bn to install and operate new EV charging infrastructure by 2030. It added that it will install tens of thousands of new chargers this year, with the aim of doubling the size of the network through 2023.

Ian Johnston said: “The formation of ChargeUK is an exciting day and is a demonstration of the electric vehicle charging industry’s growing size and importance to the UK economy.

“Together we are investing billions of pounds to get more charge points in the ground right across the country. These numbers reinforce our commitment to the UK’s net zero future.”

Transport decarbonisation and technology minister Jesse Norman said: “The launch of ChargeUK shows how industry working together, alongside the government, can release private investment, improve delivery, raise standards and promote the use of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for drivers across the country.

“Our commitment to decarbonising transport, backed by hundreds of millions in funding, has helped to unlock private sector investment, and the ambitious plans of ChargeUK’s members will support more people than ever to make the transition to EVs.”

Victoria Read, head of policy and public affairs at Connected Kerb, was elected vice chair (policy) of the new group. On LinkedIn she said: “The UK needs world-class charging infrastructure to achieve net zero and while the sector is already working incredibly hard to deliver exponential growth, we need to continue to accelerate availability over the coming decade. ChargeUK cannot do that just by talking to itself – we need to work collaboratively with government, local authorities, drivers and others in the EV ecosystem including car manufacturers, to remove the barriers stopping us from installing infrastructure as quickly as we’d like, and shore up the enablers that will give consumers the confidence to switch.”

The formation of ChargeUK was also welcomed by big potential customers. Mark Newberry, sustainability spokesperson at Europcar Mobility Group UK, commented: “It is encouraging to see the sector coming together to invest a predicted £6bn in the UK infrastructure by 2030. Providing a single industry voice to work alongside the government and drive the changes required to rapidly enhance UK infrastructure is key. The promise of tens of thousands of new chargers installed this year illustrates just how urgent this job is.

“It’s evident that today, UK employers are already filling the charging gap. Recent research commissioned by Europcar found that more than half of workplaces already provide charging facilities and 52% contribute to the cost of at-home charging for their employees. The study of 300 fleet and business travel decision makers also found that 88% believe they will “definitely” or “probably” add workplace charging for employees within the next three years.

“The collaborative approach being adopted by the sector is just what we need to support the government’s ambitious targets for decarbonisation. The industry has made good progress and has the ambition to do much much more. It’s now key that this collaboration helps unlock the UK’s EV potential.”

For the traditional forecourt sector the growth of EV usage is a crucial issue, but for many whether it is just as a long-term threat to choke off sales of diesel and petrol, or an opportunity to develop a new income stream, is still unclear. However, the involvement of BP and Shell in ChargeUK may reassure them that the forecourt sector will have some voice in the debate as the future of charging in the UK is thrashed out.

The founding members of ChargeUK are: