The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has confirmed it will prepare a report for the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) regarding its proposed Strategic Charging Infrastructure Scheme. The SAU's report will assess OZEV's evaluation of the scheme's adherence to subsidy control requirements.
The Strategic Charging Infrastructure Scheme, proposed by OZEV, has an indicative allocation of £190 million. This funding is part of a larger £400 million announced at Spending Review 2025, designated to support electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure between 2026 and 2030.
The scheme is designed to expand open-access EV charging at Motorway Service Areas (MSAs) in England. It aims to address the lack of affordable electricity network capacity at some MSAs by commissioning network upgrades at selected sites. The government plans to reserve the upgraded electricity capacity for MSA operators or charge point operators, who can access it via a 'second comer charge' that will be partially waived.
The initiative targets MSA sites where the gap between current and future capacity is significant and where network upgrade costs are not commercially viable. The upgrades are intended to meet projected EV charging demand at selected sites until at least 2035, and potentially up to 2050 in certain cases. OZEV conducted a consultation on the scheme between June and July 2026, with responses set to inform the final design.