The UK’s transition to electric vehicles is no longer about persuading motorists to make the switch. Increasingly, it is about whether they can actually charge their car when they get where they are going.
England has recognised this challenge by backing local authorities with the £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to accelerate on-street charging where residents don’t have access to private driveways.
It has created momentum, giving councils both the funding and confidence to procure, plan and deliver networks that meet long-term demand rather than short-term targets.
Across England we are seeing councils move from isolated pilot projects to borough-wide deployment strategies. The conversation has shifted from whether to install chargers to how quickly they can be delivered.
Wales has undoubtedly made progress, but progress is not the same as pace.
Many Welsh local authorities continue to face difficult funding decisions across multiple public services. Without sustained investment and simpler delivery models, EV charging infrastructure inevitably competes with countless other priorities.
However, charging infrastructure isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, Welsh local authorities have legal and policy commitments around decarbonisation and enabling EV uptake will certainly help with their drive towards the Welsh Government’s net-zero ambitions.
Without a shift in priorities, Welsh local authority areas face slower rollout and growing inequality for residents who do not have access to off-street parking.
This is particularly important because around 40% of UK households cannot charge an electric vehicle at home via a private driveway. For those drivers, public on-street charging is not a convenience; it is a necessity.
If we want EV adoption to become truly inclusive, infrastructure has to reach everyone, not just those with garages.
The good news is that this is not simply a question of spending more money.
It is about spending smarter.
The most successful projects are built around collaboration between government, local authorities and experienced charge point operators who understand both the technical and commercial realities of long-term infrastructure.
Every street is different. Every community has different travel patterns, parking habits and power constraints.
Instead, deployment should focus on installing the right chargers in the right locations, supported by robust utilisation forecasting and long-term maintenance. Infrastructure that sits unused helps nobody.
There are already examples of what good looks like. Cardiff’s on-street charging programme demonstrates how local authorities, working in partnership with experienced charge point operators, can deliver accessible infrastructure that supports residents without off-street parking.
It is a model that shows Wales has both the ambition and the capability to lead, it now needs the policy certainty and investment to replicate that success across more communities.
Installing public charging creates local investment, supports green jobs, encourages EV ownership and gives businesses confidence that customers can travel sustainably.
Town centres with reliable charging become more attractive places to visit and spend time. Charging infrastructure isn’t simply a transport asset; it’s part of modern public infrastructure.
The race to install chargers is not simply about hitting national targets. It is about ensuring every driver, whether they live in a detached home with a driveway or a terraced street with permit parking, has confidence they can charge conveniently.
England has shown what can happen when long-term funding, local authority support and private sector expertise are aligned.
Wales has already demonstrated, through projects such as Cardiff’s on-street charging programme, that it has the capability to deliver too. The challenge now is scaling those successes by giving councils the certainty and investment they need to move faster.
The winners will not be the nations that announce the boldest targets. They will be the ones that make charging visible, reliable and accessible on every street where it is needed.
It will be won one charge point, one street, and one community at a time.
Jarrad Morris is Founder and CEO of Fleet EV, a Welsh electric vehicle consultancy supporting organisations across the UK with fleet electrification, salary sacrifice and charging infrastructure solutions.
