Two-thirds of councils compliant with public chargepoint regulations

The majority of councils across Great Britain are now fully compliant with national public charging standards, according to research from Drax Electric Vehicles.

The findings, based on Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from councils across Great Britain, reveal strong progress in the rollout and modernisation of local authority charge points. Of the 205 councils contacted, 178 responded, with 154 confirming they currently operate active public chargers. 

Of those, 143 provided compliance data. More than two-thirds (67%) reported full compliance with the Public Charge Point Regulations (PCPR) 2023, up from just 47% in 2024. The proportion of councils reporting complete non-compliance has dropped sharply to 6% from 21% previously, while those citing technical or funding challenges has fallen to 21%, down from 42% last year. 
 
Across Great Britain, the FOI request also found that the number of public charge points has now reached 30,651, up from 20,979 last year. Of these, 82% of are fully compliant, compared with 58% in 2024. 

Commenting on the FOI request findings, Adam Hall, Director of Energy Services at Drax Electric Vehicles, said: “This is the second year in a row we’ve conducted this analysis and I’m pleased to see genuine progress in modernising public charging. Councils have responded quickly to new requirements, which is great news for fleets that depend on dependable, accessible infrastructure, as well as everyday drivers. But the next regulatory phase will test consistency further. Ongoing collaboration between councils, government and private partners will be vital to maintain that progress.” 

The current PCPR framework requires charge points to offer contactless payment, maintain 99% reliability for rapid units, provide a 24/7 helpline and support open data access via OCPI. From November 2025, additional measures come into effect, including roaming interoperability and expanded open data sharing to make cross-network charging simpler for drivers 

Naomi Nye, EV Charging Expert at Drax Electric Vehicles, added: “Compliance has come a long way in just 12 months, but the job isn’t finished. Roaming and data transparency will raise the bar again, giving drivers and fleets a smoother charging experience wherever they travel. The focus now must be more ambitious, moving from just meeting regulations to optimising networks for greater performance and reliability.” 

While challenges remain for a small number of councils, the overall picture is one of sustained improvement and growing readiness. Drax says this progress should give fleet operators and EV drivers confidence in the reliability of public charging – a key factor in the UK’s shift towards zero-emission transport.