The Rapid Charging Fund withdrawn – so what’s next?

Back in 2020, the UK government launched the Rapid Charging Fund (RCF), a £950 million grant scheme aimed at boosting ultra-rapid EV charging infrastructure at motorway service areas. The goal? Six ultra-rapid chargers at every motorway location by the end of 2023.

Fast-forward to 2025, and progress has been slower than expected. Only 80 out of 114* service areas have reached that target, leaving gaps on long-distance routes that matter most to drivers.

Interestingly, the number of ultra-rapid chargers installed within one mile of the strategic road network has soared - 2,377 chargers as of July 2024*, getting close to the 2030 target of 2,500*. But while that's encouraging, there are still significant stretches without enough access.

Meanwhile, the Rapid Charging Fund itself has been scrapped, nearly five years after it was announced. Designed to support the rollout of ultra-rapid charging infrastructure across the strategic road network by supporting upgraded grid connections, the scheme was criticised by motorway service operators, who are said to have deemed the scheme “commercially unviable” due to the requirement to commit to long-term power agreements that could lock-in high costs.

The fund remained unallocated, leaving questions about how charging at strategic locations where grid connection costs render sites commercially unviable for charge point operators, including key motorway sites and major A-roads, will be supported in the future.

What’s next

With the RCF unallocated, and the new Government claiming that the RCF was an unfunded commitment, in June the government announced that £400m of funding had been allocated to the Department for Transport (DfT) to support the further roll-out of EV charging infrastructure.

The £400m fund is part of a broader package of support to encourage EV adoption. The added measures announced in the spending review included confirmation that company car tax breaks for EVs would remain in place until 2030, though discounted tax rates would rise from 3% to 9% by the end of the decade.

Zapgo’s solution

At Zapgo we believe that if EV adoption is going to accelerate, it's essential to consider not just urban hubs and major roads, but also more rural locations—ensuring that all communities have reliable access to charging and can take part fully in the electric vehicle transition.

We bring rapid and reliable EV charging to destinations, supporting local communities to benefit from the net zero transition. Zapgo’s fully funded, zero cost, zero effort, zero risk model means that our team takes care of everything from build to operation, with businesses earning extra revenue from the day their chargers go live.

*source Public charge points for electric vehicles

Get in touch

Would you like to earn revenue from EV charging at your site? Zapgo makes it easy with fully managed, reliable chargers that support your business and local drivers, with revenue for you from day one. For more information, do get in touch: www.zapgo.co.uk/contact or email: charging@zapgo.co.uk