EV Policy Pulse — November 2025 for UK Fleets

What’s actually changing for UK fleets (beyond grants and VED).

The big story this month isn’t subsidies. It’s how reliably your drivers can find, access and pay for public charging—and what regulators now require networks to publish so your tools can optimise routes and costs.

1️⃣ 99 % uptime + open data: reliability you can act on

Rapid networks must now average 99 % availability and provide standardised open-data on status, pricing and location. That gives your telematics and routing stack permission to be ruthless: pick the working charger at the right price—across networks—in real time.

Fleet move: press your telematics or EMS provider for their go-live on ingesting the mandated open-data feeds; switch your driver app to “reliability-first” routing and track failed charge attempts per 100 sessions as a KPI.

2️⃣ Road-sign rules may hide good hubs—don’t let signage drive behaviour

Department for Transport (DfT)-proposed criteria for EV road signage on motorways and A-roads (amenities like toilets, hot food, free 2-hour parking) could mean many independent hubs won’t be eligible for signs—even if they’re fast, reliable and well-priced. Expect some perfectly good sites to become “invisible” from the roadside.

Fleet move: maintain a private “preferred networks & sites” list inside your apps; train drivers that sign-posted ≠ best option.

3️⃣ “Home-style” pricing without a driveway: kerbside pilots widen

Government-backed cross-pavement (kerbside) cable solutions are expanding, helping drivers in terraced streets access domestic-rate (5 % VAT) electricity. For urban drivers without off-street parking, this narrows the home-versus-public cost gap.

Fleet move: map drivers without home access and earmark postcodes where councils adopt kerbside solutions; plan to reduce any public-charging uplift as these roll out.

4️⃣ Tariff structure is shifting: low standing-charge variants

Ofgem has consulted on lower standing-charge tariffs that move more cost into unit rates. That matters for fleets with mixed duty cycles: low-mileage drivers can win; high-mileage drivers may prefer today’s structure.

Fleet move: run an A/B tariff model using your real mileage distribution (not an “average” driver) and revisit quarterly as suppliers launch new variants.

5️⃣ AER split is now the baseline — fairness still needs policy

Since 1 September 2025, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) splits the Advisory Electricity Rate (AER) at 8 p/mile (home) and 14 p/mile (public). It’s fairer, yet drivers without home or workplace access still face higher costs (20 % VAT vs 5 % at home).

Fleet move: formalise a Public Charging Uplift linked to objective criteria (no home / workplace access) and review quarterly as kerbside and workplace coverage improves.

For more on the split, see our earlier post: Why Most EV Mileage Policies Fail HMRC Tests.

✅ Quick wins this month

• Turn on open-data routing: get a date from your telematics partner; prioritise networks with transparent kWh pricing and published uptime.

• Re-map “invisible” hubs: keep an EVDC-preferred list inside driver tools; don’t rely on road signs.

• Segment tariffs by usage: simulate low standing-charge vs standard using your actual mileage spread.

• Re-check fairness policy: if a driver can’t access 5 %-VAT charging, your 14 p/mile exposure rises—target workplace or kerbside fixes.

• Keep grants tactical: ECG remains helpful, but base model selection on TCO drivers (VED bands, uptime, tariff structure), not list-price caps alone. For a refresher on TCO modelling and fleet implications, revisit UK Charging Growth & EV Registrations – Fleet Signals and Residual Values & Leasing Risk: UK Fleet TCOs.

📚 Sources

• Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 — 99 % reliability requirement and open-data obligations.

• DfT — proposed service-level criteria for EV-charging road signage.

• Kerbside charging pilots — government guidance and funding for cross-pavement solutions.

• Ofgem — consultation on low standing-charge tariff options.

• HMRC AER split — 8 p/mile (home) and 14 p/mile (public) effective from September 2025.