New electric car charging group aims to double public chargers in 2023

A new industry trade body called ChargeUK has been launched, it promises to invest £6 billion in the country’s public charging infrastructure...

MG 5 at Ionity charger

Eighteen of the UK’s leading electric vehicle (EV) charging companies have joined ChargeUK, a new trade association that says it will invest more than £6 billion on expanding and operating the EV charging infrastructure by 2030. 

The group has also pledged to double the number of public charge points available in the UK by the end of this year, raising the number from 65,000 to more than 130,000. The plan could help to put an end to recent complaints from EV owners that they’ve had to queue for hours to use public chargers at the busiest locations. 

Ian Johnston, Chair of ChargeUK and CEO of Osprey Charging Network, said: “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.

“We will continue to be a proactive partner to the Government as we deliver a world-class charging infrastructure, giving the nation’s drivers confidence to transition to electric vehicles.”

Hive using public chargers

The transport decarbonisation and technology minister, Jesse Norman, welcomed the launch of the new trade body. He said: “The launch of ChargeUK shows how the industry, working 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 in making the transition to EVs.”

The 18 founding members of ChargeUK are: Be.EV, Believe, BP Pulse, Char.gy, ChargePoint, Connected Kerb, ESB, Equans, Evyve, Fastned, Gridserve, Ionity, Mer, Osprey, Pod Point, PoGo Charge, Shell Recharge and Raw Charging.


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