Leaders in the electric car industry are urging the government to give EV charging the same visibility enjoyed by petrol stations on major roads across the UK.
The coordinated response follows a call from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) for evidence on electric vehicle signage. The companies believe action here could fix ‘one of the most overlooked barriers to EV uptake’.
InstaVolt, char.gy, Electric Vehicles UK and Octopus Electric Vehicles want to see clear and consistent EV charging on motorways, A-roads and residential streets – ‘and for EV charging to be treated on an equal footing with petrol in national road sign regulations’.
Informing this view is a 2025 poll that showed more than half of EV drivers actively look for roadside signs to locate EV chargers.
Nine in 10 also say physical signage is important – and a lack of it means the sheer scale of the UK’s ever-growing EV charging infrastructure may be going unnoticed.
Real, reliable and ready today
“Right now, EV charging locations are treated very differently to petrol stations in the rules that govern road signs,” said InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane.
“That means thousands of high-quality public chargers are installed, operating… but not obviously signposted from key routes.
“This is a low-cost, high-impact intervention. Better signage increases use of the chargers we already have, and sends a powerful public signal that the UK’s charging network is real, reliable and ready today”
A simple fix
“Drivers cannot use infrastructure they cannot see,” said CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, Tanya Sinclair. “Charging must be signposted as clearly and consistently as petrol.
“Clear, consistent signage makes charging feel normal and navigable. It’s why many countries have moved quickly to standardise it – but the UK has not.
“That lack of progress is frustrating, because this is one of the simplest and lowest-cost ways government could support driver confidence and accelerate adoption.”
The OZEV consultation, which is open now, aims to build evidence for future policy related to EV signage. As well as boosting the visibility of EV chargers, some are also calling for cost per kWh to be displayed, in the same way petrol and diesel prices are clearly shown.
The consultation closes on 11 March 2026.
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