UK Fleet Charging Infrastructure Accelerates Toward Net‑Zero Transport

Welcome to Net Zero News, your daily briefing on the UK’s transition to a low‑carbon future.

In the UK, the pace of development in net‑zero transport infrastructure continues to gather momentum, from rapid public charging expansions to commercial vehicle decarbonisation and supportive policy shifts. Key announcements in 2025 reveal both the growing scale of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure across the country and the strategic push to electrify public and commercial transport.

Ultra‑rapid charging networks are expanding significantly. InstaVolt celebrated its 2,000th charger in April 2025 and is on course for 11,000 devices by 2030, having doubled its deployment in just two years. The milestone charger was installed at a new hub in London’s Bexley borough aimed at bolstering access on key arterial routes . Simultaneously, the number of public charging devices rose by over 27% in the first half of 2025, with nearly 8,700 new units added, bringing infrastructure to more than 82,000 devices across 40,479 locations. In October alone, 777 new charging devices were added, including 378 rapid or ultra‑rapid chargers, pushing the total to nearly 86,800 devices and marking a 22% year‑on‑year growth.

Freight and logistics are also seeing crucial infrastructure investment. Fleete has broken ground on a commercial vehicle EV charging hub at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, funded partially by £1 million from the UK government’s Thames Freeport seed capital programme. Scheduled to open in December 2025, this 5 MW shared‑user facility will offer 16 rapid chargers (12 Heliox and 4 Voltempo under the eFREIGHT 2030 project) for large fleet operations around the clock. Separately, Aegis Energy secured £100 million from investment partner Quinbrook to build the UK’s first clean multi‑energy refuelling hubs for commercial vehicles. Five initial hubs are expected by end‑2027, with locations planned in Sheffield, Immingham, Warrington, Corby, and Towcester. Each hub will support electric, hydrogen, HVO, and bio‑CNG vehicles simultaneously and is expected to reduce up to 14,300 tonnes of CO₂ annually

Logistics operators are also ramping up their electric fleets: Wincanton has added 24 electric trucks supplied by DAF, Volvo, and Renault to its logistics operation. This rollout is projected to cut CO₂ emissions by 2,400 tonnes per year and is supported by depot charging infrastructure across the UK, including locations in West London, the Scotland Gateway Hub near Glasgow, and Northamptonshire. Meanwhile, the government extended the Plug‑in Truck Grant in April 2025, with large trucks eligible for up to £25,000 and small trucks up to £16,000 in incentives—backed by a £6 million funding boost.

Registration of zero‑emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) surged by nearly 60% during the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching around 183 units and capturing approximately 1% of the market. Despite this growth, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders cautioned that the rate must accelerate to meet the UK’s 2035 target of zero‑emission HGVs up to 26 tonnes.

Public transport also continues to decarbonise. Transport for London (TfL) now operates more than 2,000 zero‑emission buses roughly 20% of its fleet—up from just 30 buses in 2016. The target remains a fully zero‑emission fleet by 2030, a shift expected to save five million tonnes of carbon over two decades.

In Wales, the government has appointed Zemo Partnership to lead a two‑year programme to decarbonise the commercial vehicle sector and supply chains. The initiative builds on earlier recommendations presented in March 2025 and signals a stronger regional commitment to fleet electrification.

Policy support continues to expand across the UK. In July 2025, the government unveiled a £63 million investment package to enhance EV uptake. Key elements include £25 million to support home charging for households without driveways via new cross‑pavement technologies, a new depot charging grant for businesses, over 1,200 new charging sockets provided to NHS sites across 200 locations, and updated signage on major roads to direct drivers to EV charging hubs now numbering over 82,000 across the country .

Finally, attention centres on charging grid capacity: analysis by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders warns that van and truck operators may face depot connection waits of up to 15 years under current energy system processes. This gridlock poses a serious barrier to vehicle fleet electrification without reform to planning and connection prioritisations.

What this means:

• Both public charging networks and private logistics infrastructure are expanding rapidly, reducing barriers to EV adoption for fleets and the public.
• Investments in shared‑use commercial hubs and grant support are critical for scaling vehicle electrification in freight and heavy transport.
• Zero‑emission bus uptake in public transport is accelerating, enhancing urban decarbonisation efforts and air quality.
• Yet challenges remain: infrastructure grid capacity must be upgraded, and vehicles fit‑for‑purpose need sufficient policy support and charging access.

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