Charging industry leaders have pushed back against suggestions that Britain is not ready for electric cars, arguing that infrastructure is already being delivered and should not be blamed for the pressures facing carmakers.
The intervention came as ministers reportedly consider reducing the share of new cars that must be electric by 2030 from 80% to just 60%, following lobbying from manufacturers concerned about costs, jobs and consumer demand. A decision is expected after further ministerial discussions this week.
The warning followed the publication of Reverse the Charge, an impact assessment produced by the electric vehicle newsletter The Fast Charge in partnership with the charging firm Zest. It found that the fixed grid charges paid to keep a single rapid charger live have risen 616% since 2021, from £61.47 a week to £440.13. The report warns that rapid charging could pass £1 per kWh next year, hitting drivers without off-street parking hardest, and calls on the energy regulator Ofgem to urgently fix the capacity-based billing behind the increase.
Certainty and investment
Robin Heap, chief executive of Zest, argued that investment follows confidence and confidence depends on certainty. He said speculation about weakening the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate sends the wrong signal to businesses committing millions to Britain's electric future, and that the transition needs long-term thinking rather than short-term concessions.
Heap added that Ofgem's fixed electricity grid charges were already causing charging projects to be scaled back or shelved. Further uncertainty over EV targets, he warned, risks delaying investment, slowing progress and ultimately leaving drivers worse off, while making the UK less attractive to investors than other markets.
The dispute reflects reported disagreement within government over how far to relax the ZEV mandate, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing proportion of electric cars. Carmakers have warned that demand is not keeping pace with the targets, while EV advocates counter that the existing rules already give manufacturers considerable room to meet their obligations.
Public data from New AutoMotive showed that almost one in three new cars sold in October was fully electric.
Flexibility and vans
Ginny Buckley, chief executive of the electric car buying and advice site Electrifying.com, said drivers and businesses need a clear road ahead when even ministers appear unable to agree on direction. With uptake rising and a growing choice of affordable electric models, she argued, now is the time to build confidence rather than weaken it, and the government must not let private companies dictate environmental policy.
Buckley said the mandate already includes substantial flexibilities and that analysis suggests the car market collectively is ahead of its estimated requirement once CO2 flexibilities are included. What does need attention, she added, is vans: because electric cars and vans are moving at very different speeds, some manufacturers rely on surplus electric car credits to avoid fines on van sales. Purchase grants and charging support already exist, but ministers should assess whether they address businesses' practical barriers and set a more realistic trajectory for vans.
Yann Marston, chief revenue officer at char.gy, said the charging network is growing ahead of government targets and is ready to support more drivers making the switch. Keeping ambitious EV targets in place would help ensure drivers have access to more affordable electric cars, particularly those without driveways who often face the biggest barriers, he said, adding that a consistent policy framework would deliver both more choice and greater confidence.
Investors have warned that repeated changes to the rules could make Britain a less attractive place to fund new charging infrastructure. The government insists no final decision has been taken and says it remains committed to ending sales of new cars powered solely by petrol or diesel in 2030, with all new car and van sales required to be zero-emission by 2035.