Budget constraints biggest barrier to chargepoint roll-out

Constrained budgets and slow access to government funding are the biggest barriers faced by local authorities when installing public electric vehicle chargepoints, according to a national survey undertaken by Believ.

Advice and training should be signposted to local authorities, while administrative delays hindering the LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) tendering process also need addressing, said councils.

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.  

The findings come despite rapid growth in the UK’s charging network, with nearly 88,000 charge points installed across over 45,000 locations. But local authority-led deployment continues to play an essential role in this growth, and is crucial to ensuring coverage in residential areas, smaller towns and rural communities, and for drivers with no driveways or means to privately charge their vehicles. However, progress is being threatened by complex funding processes, administrative delays and infrastructure constraints. 

The survey results are published in Accelerating the UK’s EV future, the latest Local Authority Insight Report produced by Believ. The report ranks the main barriers to EV charging point installation as follows:  

Top barriers to EV chargepoint installation 

• Budgetary issues (council budgets): 75%
• Budgetary issues (government funding): 63%
• Logistical/delivery challenges: 42%
• Low EV ownership/local demand: 31%
• Public sector procurement challenges: 17%
• Lack of siting guidance: 16%
• Regulatory constraints: 12%
• Resident reticence: 11% 

Resourcing was cited as a key reason causing local council budget pressures. Local authorities will, therefore, be greatly anticipating the rollout of the £200 million additional capability funding, announced in the Autumn 2025 Budget, that will fund more dedicated EV councillors. 

When asked to comment on 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 chargepoint 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 chargepoint rollout. Only 12% of local authorities do not expect to complete their planned roll-out by 2030. 

Guy Bartlett, Believ chief executive, 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 roll-out. 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.” 

The 2026 Believ Local Authority Insight Report