EV Drivers risk being 'stranded' as 85 percent of UK councils have broken chargers

Electric car owners are facing a postcode lottery for public charging stations, with a significant number of drivers experiencing issues when they plug in their vehicle. According to new data from Schneider Electric, just 15% of UK councils could claim that all of the public EV chargers in their area were fully operational, despite many announcing investments in local infrastructure.

David Hall, Vice President of Power Systems for Schneider Electric UK, highlighted that a reliable public charging network is pivotal for the roll-out of EVs. He explained: "Whilst there’s a positive story that councils are investing in their EV charger infrastructure to meet the growing demand, it is clear that many councils could greatly benefit from the ability to track EV charger performance, detect faults or outages, and even enable remote repairs. Without it, reliability is called into question, potentially leaving EV drivers in their areas stranded."

According to Schneider Electric, the number of electric vehicle chargers across the UK increased by 140% between 2022 and 2023, with ZapMap noting that there were more than 73,000 public charging points across the country at the start of 2025.

However, while EV charging points are becoming increasingly widespread, a significant number feature faults that make using them a slower process or, in some cases, impossible, particularly charging points owned by local authorities.

The company highlighted that this is partially caused by a lack of remote monitoring systems, with just over half of UK councils able to see whether one of their charging points has stopped working before it is reported by a frustrated driver.

David called for stronger links between local authorities and charging providers in order to improve the reliability of the UK's vehicle charging network.

He added: " Ideally, greater collaboration between charging providers and their suppliers—across both the public and private sectors—will help ensure a more reliable and seamless charging experience – both before install and after.

"Making sure councils have the right plan in place to plot the EV charging infrastructure will be essential for long-term success."