Scoop: North Yorkshire abandons £8m EV charger rollout
Plans for 3,000+ chargers halted due to market conditions and energy pricing
Hello, I’m Tom Riley, and welcome back to The Fast Charge, a British EV newsletter.
Top story in today’s edition... North Yorkshire Council, the largest UK authority by geography, has abandoned its £8 million government-backed plan to roll out EV chargers in a blow to the region. The news applies further pressure on a government review of pricing at public chargers. Full story below.
Elsewhere... Lots of hub openings, Tata gets more millions from the public, and the most pretentious car advert I’ve seen to date. Also, the Department for Transport has not just done one good thing since last week, but two!
Finally, it was super to join Liz Allan on her Electric Evolution Podcast this week. We discussed a lot, including the realities of the EV industry and my experience reporting on it. Take a listen here.
As ever, if you have any comments or feedback, please reply to this email or message me on LinkedIn. I always enjoy hearing from people.
Scoop: North Yorkshire Council abandons its EV charging rollout
A plan to install thousands of EV chargers across North Yorkshire’s green and pleasant land had been in the works since 2023. The plan, which was backed with £8.1m from the Department for Transport, was set to be one of the country’s largest public charging contracts under the government’s local EV infrastructure fund.
But... North Yorkshire Council surprised industry leaders this month by “abandoning” its EV charging rollout due to “significant changes in the EV market” and “wider economic conditions,” according to correspondence from North Yorkshire Council and seen by The Fast Charge Newsletter.
Big project: It’s believed by one industry source that North Yorkshire Council expected 3,000 charge points to be installed across the region and that the rollout was due to be delivered by Connected Kerb. North Yorkshire Council confirmed that Connected Kerb was the awarded operator; however, the authority made clear its decision to halt its programme had nothing to do with their ability to deliver.
So, why cancel? Within its formal notice of procurement abandonment, North Yorkshire Council cited several factors that caused it to revisit its plans, which were put in motion in November 2024, including:
Significant market changes... The council wrote that the EV charging market had undergone fundamental change, noting that there had been shifting ownership among operators, which, as a result, had caused substantial amendments to contract terms. The authority noted the “EV charging sector has shifted at pace, and the market picture today is materially different to when the procurement commenced. A revised approach is required to ensure alignment with current supplier models and market realities.”
Economic conditions... The council wrote that global volatility in energy tariffs had introduced further risk, making the continuation of its procurement economically unviable for the council. This was reinforced further by the council, which blamed “notable increases in standing charges, including instances where these are uncapped.” The authority wrote that this trend had significantly affected its EV programme’s viability.
Strategic misalignment... Lastly, the council suggested that its current approach would no longer meet its objectives, claiming that proceeding without addressing the gaps in its approach would risk “failing to deliver the strategic, commercial, and operational outcomes required.”
North Yorkshire Council confirmed the news but declined to provide an on-record comment. However, the authority did tell me that there were benefits in altering their approach, and that by revisiting the procurement strategy, the authority could reflect the current market and secure the best long-term solution for North Yorkshire. The council is now undertaking a review of its position. This review will look at its commercial model, contract structure, and its overall strategic delivery approach for EV charging.
DfT, who run the LEVI scheme, said it would not be appropriate for them to comment on the decision by North Yorkshire Council. However, I’m told officials were aware of the council’s decision and expect it to re-tender, though the timing is unknown.
Anyway… Where does this leave Connected Kerb?
North Yorkshire was an important contract for the network. So much so that it was highlighted in the investment note used by the Government’s National Wealth Fund to back the company with £55m last year. An investment which, for many in the EV sector, remains controversial given the operator was loss-making at the time.
The Fast Charge obtained the investment note used by the National Wealth Fund in 2025. Dubbed ‘Project Wayside’, the document was heavily redacted. However, a map was included under the sub-header ‘deal information’, highlighting regions of the UK expected to receive significant deployment by Connected Kerb. One of these was North Yorkshire. This suggests the contract formed part of the wider national rollout used to underpin the taxpayer-backed investment.
When asked about the impact of the abandoned contract… Connected Kerb did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the National Wealth Fund defended its investment in the operator, saying:
“Improving access to electric vehicle charging is an important sector for the National Wealth Fund as reflected in our new strategy.
“Our investment in Connected Kerb has been based on its nationwide pipeline to rollout on-street charging points across a multitude of locations, not on any one area.
“Our investment decisions are guided by a comprehensive view of the market and a commitment to supporting government policy objectives. As with all of our deals, this investment was subject to a thorough and robust due diligence process.”
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