• 67 per cent of councils now report full compliance with public charge point regulations, up from 47 per cent in 2024
• Just 6 per cent of councils report complete non-compliance with regulations, down from 21 per cent in 2024
New research from Drax Electric Vehicles shows that the majority of councils across Great Britain are now fully compliant with national public charging standards, marking a significant step forward in building a reliable EV charging network for drivers and business fleets.
The findings, based on Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from councils across Great Britain, reveal strong progress in the rollout and modernisation of local authority charge points. Of the 205 councils contacted, 178 responded, with 154 confirming they currently operate active public chargers.
Of those, 143 provided compliance data. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) reported full compliance with the Public Charge Point Regulations (PCPR) 2023, up from just 47 per cent in 2024. The proportion of councils reporting complete non-compliance has dropped sharply to 6 per cent from 21 per cent previously, while those citing technical or funding challenges has fallen to 21 per cent, down from 42 per cent last year.
Across Great Britain, the FOI request also found that the number of public charge points has now reached 30,651, up from 20,979 last year. Of these, 82 per cent of are fully compliant, compared with 58 per cent in 2024.
Commenting on the FOI request findings, Adam Hall, Director of Energy Services at Drax Electric Vehicles, said: “This is the second year in a row we’ve conducted this analysis and I’m pleased to see genuine progress in modernising public charging. Councils have responded quickly to new requirements, which is great news for fleets that depend on dependable, accessible infrastructure, as well as everyday drivers. But the next regulatory phase will test consistency further. Ongoing collaboration between councils, government and private partners will be vital to maintain that progress.”
The current PCPR framework requires charge points to offer contactless payment, maintain 99 per cent reliability for rapid units, provide a 24/7 helpline and support open data access via OCPI. From November 2025, additional measures come into effect, including roaming interoperability and expanded open data sharing to make cross-network charging simpler for drivers
Naomi Nye, EV Charging Expert at Drax Electric Vehicles, added: “Compliance has come a long way in just 12 months, but the job isn’t finished. Roaming and data transparency will raise the bar again, giving drivers and fleets a smoother charging experience wherever they travel. The focus now must be more ambitious, moving from just meeting regulations to optimising networks for greater performance and reliability.”
While challenges remain for a small number of councils, the overall picture is one of sustained improvement and growing readiness. Drax says this progress should give fleet operators and EV drivers confidence in the reliability of public charging – a key factor in the UK’s shift towards zero-emission transport.
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