Local authorities say limited budgets and slow access to government funding are the biggest barriers to installing public electric vehicle (EV) charge points, according to a new survey by charge point operator (CPO) Believ.

The research, based on responses from 101 local authorities across England, Wales and Scotland, found that 75% cite pressure on council budgets as their main obstacle to expanding public EV charging.  

Nearly two thirds (63%) say central government funding is a barrier, while 42% say logistical and delivery challenges, including grid capacity and site constraints, are holding projects back.  

Other barriers include low EV ownership/local demand (31%), public sector procurement challenges (17%), and lack of siting guidance (16%). Regulatory constraints (12%) and resident reticence were cited by 11%.

When asked to comment on the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding, 71% of councils overall and more than three quarters (78%) of rural and semi-rural councils stated a preference for more direct and targeted access to funds, while 43% want greater local say in budget decisions.  

Encouragingly, three-quarters of UK councils now have formal EV charging plans, up from two-thirds in the previous insight report, and the majority have issued or are about to issue tenders to charge point operators. With numerous LEVI contracts now signed with CPOs, the first of which was with Suffolk County Council and Believ, the hope is that 2026 will see a significant uplift in the LEVI charge point rollout. Only 12% of local authorities do not expect to complete their planned rollout by 2030.

Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, says the latest report shows that to accelerate the positive progress we have seen in local authorities’ EV charging infrastructure rollouts, we must address known barriers:  

“The report is the only piece of research of its kind, talking to more than a quarter of local authorities, directly to the Councillors responsible for the EV charging rollout. And as such, we must act on the results,” he says.  

“The clear and urgent priorities of unlocking funding, streamlining processes, expanding and signposting guidance must be addressed. The responsibility for this lies in tandem with the charging industry and government – with the right partnerships, the UK can build an EV charging network that works for everyone.”