Britain’s EV chargers grow up

Believ’s Switch EV deal and EDF’s Pod Point buy show UK charging maturing, with uptime and maintenance now driving success

20 Jan 2026

The UK’s electric vehicle charging market is entering a more demanding phase, as operators and investors place greater emphasis on reliability rather than the sheer number of chargers installed.

That shift helps explain the attention around Believ’s acquisition of assets from Switch EV. The deal expands Believ’s in-house capabilities for monitoring, managing and maintaining charging points, underscoring a strategic move towards operational performance as networks scale.

Believ’s chief executive Guy Bartlett has linked the transaction to rising expectations from drivers, local authorities and commercial partners, arguing that reliability is now a baseline requirement rather than a differentiator. Industry analysts broadly agree. Recent reports from trade bodies and infrastructure reviews have highlighted that uptime and speed of maintenance response are becoming central to winning contracts and sustaining revenues.

The economic logic is straightforward. Chargers that are frequently offline weaken driver confidence, create friction with public sector partners and fleets, and can lead to contractual penalties. In response, operators are investing more heavily in software platforms, remote diagnostics and dedicated operations teams designed to detect faults early and resolve them more quickly, often without the need for on-site repairs.

Concerns about reliability are not new. Government-commissioned reviews and consumer groups have previously pointed to uneven performance across the public charging network, prompting calls for clearer service standards. While uptime varies widely by location and operator, these critiques have pushed operational quality higher up the industry agenda.

This focus on performance is unfolding alongside deeper consolidation. EDF’s acquisition of Pod Point, completed in August 2025, illustrates how large energy groups are integrating EV charging into wider electrification strategies. Backed by scale and long-term infrastructure planning, such companies are better placed to invest in both network growth and service quality.

For businesses, councils and fleet operators, the impact is tangible. Competition is shifting towards who can deliver consistent, dependable charging rather than simply wider geographic coverage. For drivers, the promise is more basic: confidence that public chargers will work when needed.

Challenges remain, particularly in integrating different hardware and software systems. Even so, the direction is clear. As the UK’s EV charging market matures, operators that combine expansion with reliable, well-run networks are likely to emerge strongest.