Increasing EV Charging Capacity on the Strategic Road Network Competition

Funding for UK-registered businesses to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions overcoming grid and operational challenges for ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging on England’s Strategic Road Network, with collaborative projects allowed to include SMEs, academic institutions, public sector organisations, charities, RTOs and other relevant stakeholders.

The Increasing EV Charging Capacity on the Strategic Road Network Competition is jointly operated by Innovate UK (IUK) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). OZEV is a cross government team spanning the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which supports the transition to zero emission vehicles.

The competition aims to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions that address grid, power and operational challenges affecting the provision of ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging along England’s Strategic Road Network (SRN), including motorways and major A-roads.

Projects should focus on grid-constrained or hard-to-power sites, particularly at Motorway Service Areas (MSAs) and All Purpose Trunk Road (APTR) cold spots, where high costs or lengthy timescales hinder chargepoint installation. Solutions may combine renewable energy sources, such as solar, with energy storage systems to overcome grid limitations and reduce the need for costly upgrades.

Proposals must test novel, whole-system concepts in real-world settings and enable at least 12 EVs (cars and vans) to access ultra-rapid charging of 150kW or more. Projects may also consider charging needs for electric heavy goods vehicles or coaches.

The competition seeks to improve charging power availability, increase energy resilience, manage demand and supply imbalances, and reduce costs for consumers. Learning from the projects will be shared across the sector to support future EV charging deployment on the SRN.