Written evidence submitted by GRIDSERVE (SEV0056)
I am writing on behalf of the UK’s most used public electric vehicle (EV) charging operator, GRIDSERVE, to contribute evidence to your inquiry into the rollout and performance of public EV charging infrastructure in the UK.
GRIDSERVE provides a truly nationwide network of ultra-rapid charging hubs, covering more than 200 high transient locations along the strategic road network. We have set the standard for EV charging experiences in Europe with our ‘Electric Forecourt’ concept and have recently embarked on the ‘Electric Freightway’, an emerging charging network that aims to do for electric trucks what the Electric Highway has done for electric passenger cars.
The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway supports approximately 300,000 charging sessions every month, while the company directly employs 158 people in the UK and supports thousands more roles in sectors covering engineering, construction and technology.
You’ll understand that electric vehicles are no longer a niche product for early adopters. They are increasingly mainstream, often outperforming their combustion-engine equivalents on comfort, space and performance. However, for EVs to win over remaining sceptics, the public charging experience must meet the same standard of progress. It needs to be reliable, affordable and effortless - rather than complex, unpredictable or prohibitively expensive.
Drawing on direct experience delivering ultra-rapid charging infrastructure across the UK, we believe there are four priority areas where targeted policy action in 2026 would materially improve public EV charging and strengthen consumer confidence in the transition.
1. Grid connections: the unseen constraint holding back delivery
High-quality charging sites can be built quickly, but without a live grid connection they remain stranded assets. Grid connection delays are currently one of the most significant barriers to rolling out public charging at pace.
In 2025, approximately one third of chargers delivered by GRIDSERVE were delayed beyond their planned energisation date. In these cases, the infrastructure was complete, but grid power was unavailable. Charging operators typically do not control the grid connection process; responsibility often sits with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and, in some cases, landlords. When programme dates slip, there is limited recourse for operators, despite the substantial financial impact.
These delays increase costs, delay revenue generation and slow the deployment of high-power charging in locations where it is most needed. Streamlining and standardising grid connection processes across DNOs, accelerating approvals and reducing complexity for high-capacity sites would significantly improve delivery timelines.
When grid connections are delivered effectively, the results are transformative. Our latest 400kW-capable chargers can add over 100 miles of range in less than ten minutes - an experience that fundamentally reshapes public perceptions of EVs.
2. Fairer pricing: addressing structural costs, not consumer demand
Public charging costs are driven less by the price of electricity itself and more by the way network costs are recovered. Two major contributors are Distribution Use of System (DUoS) and Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges.
Since 2021, these charges have shifted from being based on energy consumption to being based on the size of a site’s grid connection. This presents a significant challenge for charging infrastructure, which must be built ahead of demand. Operators are effectively paying today for future utilisation.
As a result, some sites struggle to break even purely due to fixed network charges, leading to difficult decisions around power curtailment or delayed expansion. This directly undermines the pace and scale of rollout.
In addition, public EV charging is subject to 20% VAT, compared to 5% for domestic charging. This disparity further increases costs for drivers who rely on public infrastructure, including those without access to off-street parking. If there is policy movement here, we would be fully committed to passing these VAT savings directly onto our customers, ensuring the benefits are felt immediately by EV drivers across the UK.
We believe that reforming network charging structures and equalising VAT would lower consumer prices, improve site viability and unlock the expansion of ultra-rapid charging, including infrastructure critical to the electrification of heavy goods vehicles.
3. Demand certainty: maintaining a stable ZEV mandate
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate provides essential long-term demand certainty. Charging infrastructure is capital-intensive, with long payback periods and gradual utilisation growth as EV adoption increases.
Investors and operators make decisions based not only on current vehicle sales, but on credible forecasts five, ten or fifteen years into the future. Sudden policy changes - or even speculation about them - can delay investment, slow rollout and increase costs.
A stable, aligned policy framework across transport, energy, taxation and decarbonisation is critical to enabling infrastructure to be delivered at the pace required.
4. Recognising charging as critical national infrastructure
With over 1.7 million fully electric vehicles already on UK roads, public EV charging is no longer optional infrastructure. It is essential and yet it is not formally recognised as such.
Cable theft and vandalism are increasing across all charging networks, with incidents often underreported. At GRIDSERVE, we’re proud to deliver 99% uptime for drivers, but when cables are stolen, it puts that reliability at risk. Cutting off access to charging that millions of people depend on every day causes frustration and undermines confidence in electric vehicles. It also diverts resources away from expanding the network we need to meet our 2030 goals.
While EV and electric HGV charging is not yet designated as Critical National Infrastructure, Government should explore how to ensure that crime affecting this infrastructure is treated similarly to adjacent sectors, including telecomms and rail. It would also signal the importance of charging sites to both grid operators and local authorities, support faster planning and energisation and enable consistent signage across the strategic road network.
Conclusion
If the UK is able to get the policy framework right by fixing grid bottlenecks, addressing structural pricing issues, maintaining demand certainty and recognising charging as essential infrastructure, it will not merely have enough chargers. It will have an EV charging network that makes driving electric feel like the obvious, modern choice.
Once drivers experience adding over 100 miles of range in the time it takes to stretch their legs, returning to older technologies quickly feels like a step backwards.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss further, either by providing supporting evidence or appearing before the Committee if required.
January 2026