UK CPOS STRUGGLE TO TRACE CHARGER FAULTS AS DIAGNOSTIC BLIND SPOTS THREATEN RELIABILITY
Posted by: electime 26th November 2025
Monta’s national study reveals that nearly a third of senior operators cannot identify charging failures, putting charging performance, maintenance efficiency and 99 per cent uptime targets at risk.
New research from EV charging platform, Monta, reveals that while over half of senior UK Charge Point Operators (CPOs) find it easy to identify the root causes of charging session failures, nearly a third (29 per cent) are unsure how to.
The findings point to significant gaps in diagnostic tools and fault visibility across the UK charging network.
Monta’s latest research shows that senior UK CPOs are increasingly prioritising measurable, session-level performance when selecting hardware partners. Overall performance was ranked as the most important factor, ahead of user satisfaction, charge success rate and uptime, signalling a clear shift towards reliable, consistent charging outcomes.
However, the data also reveals a major contradiction. Despite placing performance at the top of their priorities, almost a third of CPOs remain unsure how to identify the root causes of failed sessions. Without this visibility, operators struggle to understand why performance issues occur or how to resolve them, limiting their ability to maintain reliable networks.
This blind spot presents a significant operational challenge. Only 12 per cent of CPOs say pinpointing the cause of a failed charging session is extremely easy, while nearly half report difficulty or uncertainty. This lack of diagnostic clarity drives reactive maintenance, increased downtime and frustrated EV drivers.
Jon Evans, Head of Market, UK and Ireland at Monta, said, “You can’t improve what you can’t see. When operators are unable to pinpoint session faults quickly and accurately, they’re forced into reactive maintenance cycles that drive up costs, frustrate users and leave compliance to chance. With uptime now tightly regulated and public trust in charging reliability on the line, this isn’t a back-office issue; it’s a frontline threat. The sector cannot scale on guesswork; operators need real-time diagnostic clarity if they’re going to deliver the reliability and consistency EV drivers expect.”
Adding to this pressure are government-set reliability targets requiring rapid charge points to maintain 99 per cent uptime or face penalties, placing operators under unprecedented regulatory scrutiny and further reinforcing the need for better diagnostic visibility.
Monta’s study points to a growing recognition that smarter diagnostics are no longer optional extras but operational necessities for network management. Without them, operators face longer downtimes and stretched maintenance resources.
The research also found strong and immediate demand for systems that support a compliant, scalable charging infrastructure. Among senior UK CPO decision-makers, diagnostic capability is increasingly viewed not as a future ambition but as an urgent operational requirement. Key priorities for CPOs are:
- Seamless Charge Point Management System integration for real-time visibility
- Tighter firmware oversight
- Transparent diagnostic tools
- Greater fault traceability through error code analysis
“This research shows the industry is hitting the limits of what can be achieved without smarter diagnostics. If operators can’t pinpoint faults in real time, they can’t deliver the reliability that drivers and regulators now demand,” added Evans.
Together, these pressures reinforce that without clear diagnostic insight, operators cannot maintain reliable networks or meet the rising expectations set by regulators and EV drivers.
Evans concluded, “The next phase of EV infrastructure growth isn’t about more chargers; it’s about ensuring every charger works, every time, through clearer data, stronger integrations and proactive maintenance. To get there, CPOs will need to embrace more advanced diagnostic capabilities, including AI-driven tools that can surface, interpret and help resolve faults as they occur.
As these systems become embedded into day-to-day operations, they will take on more of the diagnostic burden and enable operators to run larger, more reliable networks with far less manual effort.”
