CONFIDENCE CRISIS IN UK EV CHARGING HARDWARE REVEALED BY MONTA

  Posted by: electime      20th October 2025

Two-thirds of Senior UK charge point operator (CPO) decision-makers lack trust in their current hardware mix, shows new research published by EV charging platform Monta.

Monta’s independent research, ‘The pain points and growth opportunities impacting UK Charge Point Operators in 2025’, surveyed over 200 senior UK CPO decision-makers also reveals that almost half (45%) of UK CPO decision-makers name delayed maintenance as the biggest threat to charger uptime, alongside firmware, grid and data integration issues.

Over half of respondents (62%) reported that they are not fully confident their hardware mix can cope with rising charging demands, with 3% saying they have no confidence at all. In stark contrast, just 7% described themselves as ‘extremely confident’ and 31% said they felt ‘confident’ in their hardware’s capabilities.

Jon Evans, Head of Market, UK & Ireland at Monta

Jon Evans, Head of Market, UK & Ireland at Monta, commented, “Our data shows this lack of confidence is driven by persistent reliability issues across the UK’s charge point ecosystem. With 45% of operators citing slow maintenance as their top barrier to consistent charger uptime, the UK’s EV infrastructure shows clear signs of strain, hampering scaling efforts and making it increasingly difficult for CPOs to hit government-set reliability targets.”

Monta’s research also shows that UK CPOs are calling for urgent improvements in four key areas: faster technical support and fault resolution (45%), better firmware control and transparency (43%), wider use of predictive maintenance systems (40%) and improved hardware–software interoperability (24%).

These challenges come at a pivotal moment for the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. With the ban on new petrol and diesel cars approaching in 2030 and hybrids following by 2035, operators are facing growing pressure to deliver a reliable charging network. Monthly EV sales are reaching record highs, with Chinese automaker BYD seeing UK sales rise by 880%, making Britain its largest market outside China.

At the same time, the government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme is expected to accelerate adoption even further, adding to the pressure on CPOs to maintain performance and uptime across the UK’s expanding network.

Evans added, “EV adoption is accelerating faster than infrastructure can keep up and the pressure on CPOs is mounting. Legislation such as the Public Charge Point Regulations and the ECG scheme provides a strong foundation, but this must be matched by practical support, smarter maintenance strategies and greater transparency across the charging ecosystem. Without these, operators will struggle to deliver the reliability EV drivers now expect from public charging.”

Monta’s research shows that this rapid growth is exposing critical weaknesses in the UK’s charging ecosystem. Slow maintenance response times, limited interoperability and reactive fault management are already restricting uptime and reliability. With demand increasing faster than the industry can scale, operators are calling for smarter systems and stronger collaboration to maintain performance.

Evans continued, “We are at a defining moment for the UK’s EV transition and the decisions made over the next few years will determine whether the country leads or lags in charging reliability. This is more than an operational issue; it is an infrastructure crossroads that will shape consumer confidence, investor appetite and the credibility of the net zero timeline.

To overcome these challenges, collaboration across the entire charging ecosystem is essential. Hardware manufacturers, network operators and software providers must align around shared standards and real-time data exchange to make charging more predictable, efficient and transparent for drivers and operators alike.”

“The next phase is not about installing more chargers; it is about ensuring every charger works, every time. That means giving CPOs the tools, data and system controls they need to move from firefighting problems to preventing them altogether,” concluded Evans.