13 councils reported to have no EV chargers – but the data may not tell the whole story

Data from Vauxhall suggests 13 UK councils have no EV chargers, but some councils have disputed or qualified the figures. We look at what they told us and look at the wider need for accessible on-street charging.

More than 90% of UK councils have at least one public EV charger in their area, according to new data from Vauxhall, but the carmaker says more needs to be done to support drivers who can’t charge at home.

Improving public charging infrastructure is widely seen as an important step in increasing electric car uptake. However, while it’s useful to build charging destinations similar to petrol stations, Vauxhall has been keen to push for more ‘on-street chargers’ that allows motorists without access to a driveway to top up EVs outside their homes.

On-street chargers are those that are built into residential areas where most drivers have to rely on street-parking their cars. These include lamp-post chargers and street-level bollard chargers that are designed to blend into the streetscape and are intentionally placed at accessible heights for wheelchair users.

While petrol station-style charging hubs are useful for longer journeys where you are likely to need to stop for toilet or food breaks, they’re much less convenient for regular top-ups and are often much more expensive than on-street chargers.

Vauxhall’s latest Freedom of Information (FOI) research found that 39% of 265 responding councils had installed at least one on-street charger, up from 31% in 2023. Half of councils – equivalent to 133 authorities – explicitly reported having no on-street chargers, while a further 11% did not give a direct answer to the question.

Having no on-street chargers does not necessarily mean a council has no public charging infrastructure. Follow-up analysis of Vauxhall’s dataset found that, of the 133 councils recorded as having no on-street chargers, just 13 appeared to have no public chargers of any kind.

We contacted all 13 councils to find out more and received 10 responses. Some confirmed that other forms of public charging infrastructure were available in their areas, while several said they were planning to introduce on-street chargers.

The findings come as Vauxhall continues its Electric Streets of Britain campaign, which aims to help households without off-street parking switch to electric cars with the help of local councils. The campaign focuses on on-street charging infrastructure, with chargers installed by participating councils typically providing up to 7kW or 22kW, depending on the area.

Phil Douglass, Electric Streets lead at Vauxhall UK, told Carwow that a lack of convenient charging remains a barrier for some drivers, with the company finding that some potential EV buyers “didn’t have access to reliable infrastructure”.

Here’s what the councils told us.

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Derbyshire

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson told Carwow that it’s part of a consortium with sub-national transport body Midlands Connect looking at how to provide residents, businesses and visitors with more EV charging infrastructure.

The county council aims to install 6,000 on-street charging sockets across Derbyshire, with work expected to start in early 2027.

Councillor Carol Wood, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, said the authority was “actively working towards finding a provider” for the planned network.

Medway

Medway Council told Carwow that it currently doesn’t have any charging points, but say it’s preparing for a rollout using funding from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme.

The first phase is expected to deliver 140 chargers in 2027.

A recent consultation identified almost 500 potential sites, which are now being assessed. A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) – a legal process allowing councils to control vehicle movements and parking on public roads – must be completed before the final locations are confirmed.

Councillor Alex Paterson, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement, said the programme would “support residents without access to off-street parking, and is the first step in establishing a scalable, long-term solution for future EV demand”.

North Kesteven

North Kesteven District Council says it’s working with Lincolnshire County Council on EV chargepoints through the government’s LEVI funding.

There are plans for chargers in Sleaford (located near Grantham) through a LEVI pilot scheme, with further expansion expected through a future capital fund.

The district council says it appears to have zero chargers in the Vauxhall data because it’s not a highway authority. That responsibility belongs to Lincolnshire County Council, which currently manages 23 chargepoints across its constituency.

Rochdale: the data is correct – for now

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council confirms that it currently has no EV chargers.

“We don’t have any on street chargers at the moment, so the data provided is correct,” a spokesperson told Carwow.

However, the spokesperson adds that the council is “planning chargers at selected locations in the future”. The number and locations have not yet been determined.

Rother

Rother District Council pointed Carwow towards the authority responsible for its chargers: East Sussex County Council.

We got in touch with them, and a spokesperson said Rother has chargepoints in public car parks, alongside provision from operators including MFG EV Power, InstaVolt, Roam and Pod Point.

The authority also noted that it is progressing plans for a significant expansion of on-street chargepoints across the county, including in Rother.

The county is also developing a policy for cross-pavement charging channels, which could give some residents without off-street parking another way to charge at home.

Sefton

Sefton Council adopted its Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy in April 2026 and has been developing plans for future demand.

It has been allocated £1.6m through the LEVI Fund, with additional investment expected from the appointed chargepoint operator.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is leading procurement for the Merseyside authorities. Sefton says “contracts have now been offered” and infrastructure is expected to start being delivered from the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.

Potential sites include council car parks and on-street trial locations.

Residents have also been able to suggest locations through the council’s Your Sefton Your Say consultation.

Sefton adds the Vauxhall dataset has been considered as part of the development of its long list of potential sites.

Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council directly challenged the suggestion that it has no EV chargepoints.

“We do have EV points in Tunbridge Wells,” a council spokesperson said, and directed to information on its website detailing its charging points.

Wakefield

Wakefield City Metropolitan District Council confirmed it currently has no EV chargers installed in its constituency, with contractual issues involving its suppliers causing delays.

However, they said 307 chargers are currently in the plan, with more still to be agreed.

The council is also working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on EV charging campaigns and says the situation may change as chargers are installed.

Warwick

Warwick District Council says Warwickshire has a number of operational on-street public chargepoints across the county, and the network continues to expand.

It says residents regularly contact the council about charging, particularly where households do not have driveways or dedicated off-street parking.

Warwickshire County Council has secured £3.3m from the Department for Transport’s LEVI Fund, which will help deliver hundreds of additional chargepoints across the county.

The programme will particularly focus on residents who rely on on-street parking.

In terms of future infrastructure, a spokesperson said: “Warwickshire County Council is supportive of initiatives that help improve access to EV charging and already works with a number of partners to expand charging infrastructure.

“The council would be happy to consider opportunities that support its objective of providing reliable, accessible and well-located charging infrastructure for residents and visitors.”

Wyre Forest

We got in touch with Worcestershire County Council on this as they are responsible for the charging scheme covering Wyre Forest.

It has agreements in place with two chargepoint operators, with installation expected to begin in early 2027.

Contractors are planning to install around 1,500 chargepoint sockets over five years.

The county has also surveyed residents to help identify suitable locations.

While there are currently no on-street chargers in Worcestershire, charging facilities are already available at locations including public car parks.

What does this mean for electric car drivers

Drivers without a driveway should check what charging is available near their home before switching to an electric car. That means looking at:

• where the nearest chargers are
• whether they are on-street
• how fast they charge
• what they cost
• whether there are any parking restrictions

Public chargers in car parks can be useful, but they may not offer the same convenience as having a charger close to where you park overnight, and parking fees and restrictions complicate things further.

This can also be a good opportunity to get in touch with your local council to ask about plans for on-street charging or whether a charger could be installed in your area. As you can see from the responses above, councils may be able to give you information on planned infrastructure, local charging schemes or how residents can request new charging points.

Planned chargers could improve local provision, but you should consider what is available now rather than relying on infrastructure that has yet to be installed. After all, for people without off-street parking, access to convenient charging remains an important part of owning an electric car.

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