Safer Charging warns private EV chargers are becoming Britain’s weak link

Safer Charging says the private chargers many UK drivers and fleets depend on are ageing without clear ownership, maintenance or inspection standards ahead of the 2030 petrol and diesel sales ban. The company argues that gaps in upkeep could undermine confidence in electric vehicles just as Britain tries to accelerate adoption.

Why it matters: - Private EV chargers at homes, workplaces and other sites are the part of Britain’s charging network most at risk of being overlooked. - Safer Charging says poor upkeep could leave drivers unable to charge where they live and work, which would weaken confidence in the transition to electric vehicles. - The risk matters more as the UK moves toward the 2030 end date for new pure petrol and diesel car sales under the ZEV mandate. - If chargers fail, businesses, landlords and public bodies may face downtime, compliance issues and added costs.

What happened: - Safer Charging, a UK EV charge point maintenance specialist, warned that many private chargers are now ageing without anyone clearly responsible for long-term care. - The company said the problem is especially acute for the “missing middle” of private networks that do not face the same operating rules as public rapid chargers. - The warning comes ahead of the government’s 2030 target, when 80% of new cars sold must be zero emission.

The details: - Public charge point operators must keep rapid networks working 99% of the time under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023. - Large delivery fleets also have a strong incentive to fix broken chargers quickly because off-road vehicles cost money every hour they are out of service. - Private chargers used by other sites have no equivalent maintenance rules, and upkeep is often handled by staff without charging expertise. - Chris Cheetham, founder and CEO of Safer Charging, said many businesses, landlords and public bodies invested heavily in charging infrastructure, but no one is clearly owning its long-term upkeep. - Cheetham said the first and second waves of chargers are ageing, warranties are expiring, some installers have gone out of business, maintenance contracts have been lost, and some manufacturers have left the UK. - Safer Charging said those conditions are leaving some sites with orphaned chargers that nobody can fix. - The company said neglected chargers can create liability for site owners if the equipment falls out of compliance. - Safer Charging also said EV fire risk planning matters because, while EVs are less likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel cars, incidents can create toxic gases and firewater run-off hazards. - Safer Charging’s independent fire risk assessments are designed to give sites practical steps to improve preparedness and provide evidence for insurers. - Safer Charging’s services start with an audit of a site’s charging estate, followed by maintenance, inspection and repair across chargers from any manufacturer. - The company said it does not recommend replacing working chargers unless replacement is the most economical option. - Safer Charging said that approach is intended to avoid waste and unnecessary cost when hardware is still usable after warranty expiry. - Its Arcane Charging Connect platform monitors chargers live, identifies faults early and dispatches engineers. - The company offers pay-as-you-go call-outs and all-inclusive cover, with its Core plan typically priced at £12 per socket per month including software, support and proactive maintenance. - Safer Charging said it works with businesses and public sector bodies across the UK, including Kent and Essex Police. - The company said it has also worked with organisations that together manage around 1.5 million chargers. - Safer Charging added that site owners should be able to answer who maintains each charger, when each charger was last inspected and who would repair it if the installer or manufacturer disappeared. - If a site cannot answer those questions, Safer Charging recommends starting with an audit.

Between the lines: - The core issue is not a shortage of chargers alone. It is a maintenance gap in equipment that already exists. - Public charging gets more scrutiny because regulations force it. Private charging can fail quietly until drivers or fleets run into problems. - The company is positioning maintenance, inspections and fire preparedness as lower-cost alternatives to full replacement.

What's next: - Safer Charging wants more site owners to audit their charging estates before broken equipment becomes a larger operational problem. - The company is betting that more businesses and public bodies will treat EV charger maintenance as a standing duty rather than a one-off installation project. - As 2030 approaches, pressure on private charging networks is likely to grow along with EV adoption.

The bottom line: - Britain’s EV transition may depend as much on keeping private chargers working as on building new ones.