Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Support Service launched

DfT commissions Energy Saving Trust, Cenex and PA Consulting to support English local authorities

The Department for Transport announced a new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (EVI) Support Service for organisations involved in delivering England’s EV charging network. 

The service, which will be operated by Energy Saving Trust, Cenex and PA Consulting, is expected to launch by April 2026 to help increase the delivery of chargepoints in England over the next three years. 

The EVI Support Service will expand on the support currently available to local authorities to include other public sector organisations, offering:

• training
• one-to-one guidance
• knowledge resources
• help with EVI policies.

The service will also provide support for ongoing UK government schemes such as the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund and the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant, as well as future policy development and the wider delivery of public chargepoints.

Local authorities, organisations and public services are considered key to the rollout of EV chargers due to their understanding of local needs and their ownership of roads and highways.

Since March 2022, £381m in LEVI funding has been issued to help local authorities:

• Accelerate public EV infrastructure development
• Leverage significant private investment
• Deliver over 100,000 new public chargepoints.

This includes capability funding, allowing local authorities to recruit over 350 specialist EV infrastructure officers in England, with further recruitment underway.

By March 2026, most LEVI local authorities are expected to have completed their procurement for chargepoint operators. The new EVI Support Service will build on this by supporting a wider range of organisations involved in the planning and delivery of England’s transport and energy infrastructure.

Robert Evans, chief executive officer, Cenex, said: “We are delighted to be evolving our successful LEVI collaboration with Energy Saving Trust and PA Consulting into the new EVI Support Service. As the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Transport, we are pleased to be leading the technical workstreams to ensure England’s public sector receives best-in-class guidance, modelling, advice and mapping. We look forward to working with Central Government, Local Authorities, and public bodies to accelerate and amplify transport decarbonisation.”
Nick Harvey, senior programme manager, Energy Saving Trust, said: “The EVI Support Service represents the next evolution in England’s procurement and deployment support for electric vehicle infrastructure. Building on four years of LEVI delivery, we are proud to provide a one stop shop for councils and public bodies, equipping them with the expertise, tools and confidence needed to deliver accessible, equitable and future?proof charging networks.”

Dominic Gibbeson, partner, PA Consulting, said: “We are proud to continue delivering work for the DfT alongside Energy Saving Trust and Cenex, on the new EVI Support Service, helping accelerate the transition to a reliable and accessible charging network across England. Drawing on our expertise in clean and smart mobility, we will support public sector organisations with the insight, innovation and delivery capability needed to plan, procure and implement effective charging solutions. This service represents an important step in enabling a future?proof EV infrastructure system that works for communities, businesses and the wider energy ecosystem.”