EV Maintenance Solutions for Charge Point Operators

We recently caught up with Nick to get his thoughts on how EV charging has changed since he got involved in the sector as a fresh-faced 46-year-old back in 2016! From rising expectations from all stakeholders to new challenges and opportunities, this fast-changing landscape is reshaping demand from charge point operators (CPOs) and motorists alike.

Nick, let’s start with the big picture. What’s the current state of the EV market in the UK?

The answer to this question really depends on who you listen to or what you read.  There are strong voices, lots of opinions plus agendas at play from all directions – one day the market is flying and the next it’s miles off from where it needs to be.

The industry does love a stat – that’s for sure – but I try to keep away from those to be honest because it can send you down a bit of a rabbit hole.

Do I see more and more EV’s on the road than I used too? YES, absolutely, but I know it is still a very small percentage of the overall number I queue with on the dreaded M5/M42 every day.

Is there now a huge choice of vehicles suitable for the majority of driver’s needs? YES, 100 percent. The manufacturers have done more than their bit – often with the goalposts being moved and political pressures being imposed, thus compromising their entire business model and, in some cases, even existence.

Has the private sector put their money where their mouth is and invested heavily in charging infrastructure? YOU BET THEY HAVE – and that is quite a risk considering the return is linked directly to consumer demand as the curve evolves!

Has the government (more than one, let’s not forget!) been a catalyst at the right times and contributed sufficiently to ensure their mandates are achieved? PROBABLY NOT, but be honest I know money does not grow on trees and public funds are not a bottomless pit.

Consumer demand is the real driver here – and there is a tug-of-war playing out in the background. It will either ignite the next phase of EV adoption or throw cold water all over it.

The issue is that new EV’s are still expensive. It is certainly better than it was in the early days but the price tag is still too high. Production volume is the cure but for that you need demand!

Right now, most new EVs are still going to fleet drivers on lease – but those lease prices are sky-high, mainly because depreciation in the first 3-4 years is brutal. For the average driver, brand-new EVs are still out of reach, and so demand is falling, not rising. That said… Joe Public does love a bargain!

With so many ex-lease EVs flooding the used market, it’s a bit of a bloodbath for car dealers across the UK at the moment. Hopefully things start to stabilise – because let’s face it, the fastest way to shift the EV-to-ICE mix on the road is through the second-hand route.

That’s paints a pretty complex picture. So, with all of it in mind, can you explain what’s happening with EV infrastructure right now?

I’ve said I’m not one for quoting stats, so I won’t start now – but if you’re curious, head over to ZAPMAP and take a look for yourself.

At Actemium UK, we have always been focussed on providing Design, Build & Maintain services to the Private EV charging sector, across the country.

What I can say hand-on-heart is that we see day-in-day-out the frankly staggering amount of investment being made by some of our customers in EV infrastructure. They have gone for it in a big way – even in times of political and market volatility!

We as a business remain committed to the cause because – let’s not forget the end game of this transition – is to reduce emissions generated by UK transport.  We are doing our bit with the services we provide – and having been involved in the rollout of Ultra-Rapid charging infrastructure since 2014, we’ve certainly come a long way.

Power has always been and will always be the biggest challenge – i.e. where is it, how much will it cost to connect to it and how long will that take?  I don’t see that changing any time soon, but I am confident that National Grid have a plan in place for ensuring the lights can stay on when the EV’s are plugged in by the time we reach 2050.

So, what’s the biggest concern among EV drivers right now?

Historically, it’s always been range anxiety – people worrying whether they’ll make it to the next charger. But honestly, in 2025, we’ve moved way past that.

Now I would suggest the concern has shifted to charger access. I drove a Tesla Model Y for a couple of years and for some key locations there might be only one or two spare chargers on my arrival; on the odd occasion I’ve even had to wait my turn. Also other key locations for non-Tesla drivers are now getting busier and busier – hence in some Motorway Service areas there a huge number of Ultra-Rapid chargers to facilitate that onward journey.

The main issue today is charger reliability – for sure! A few years ago that was a massive issue – with legacy kit failing regularly. Now, as these chargers are being removed and new equipment is installed reliability is naturally improving – and is getting better and better.

Reliability however will remain a key challenge for the CPO’s as failures come from multiple sources: poor maintenance, network connectivity issues, vandalism, payment system faults, and sometimes the charger hardware/software itself.

Drivers really feel this pain, especially those who don’t have access to home charging. (I speak from experience: for 7 of my 9 years driving an EV, I didn’t have a home charger.) But charging off-the-drive and on-the-move is still a concern for a lot of EV drivers.

There’s new regulation around this, right?

Yes. The government brought in regulations at the end of 2024 that now require CPO’s to maintain at least 99% uptime annually. That’s a strong push, and it’s under-pinned by penalties for non-compliance.  It’s a move in the right direction for the EV driver but imposes yet more pressure on the CPO’s and investors to guarantee that level of reliability. Hopefully that’s where companies like Actemium come in because we are in this for the “long-haul” – always have been!

How is Actemium responding to this reliability rollercoaster challenge?

We’ve built a solid reputation for top-notch installations – and now, we’re bringing that same quality to maintenance.

We have a full EV maintenance service, providing planned, preventative and reactive services. We’re already working with our existing customers – and as you would, expect on the hunt for new ones at the same time.

Our teams are fully trained, experienced electricians with deep know-how across all the leading charger brands. You name it, and chances are we’ve seen every inch of it!

We know the hardware and software systems inside out – but more importantly, we understand the pressure our customers are under, so we are here to help them.

Ultimately future reliability demands will lead to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week & 365 days a year support. We know that is upon us already and is going to mean lots of Actemium engineers spread across the UK.  Our business model is based on directly employing people and providing jobs, so a win-win as far as I am concerned.

What makes Actemium UK stand out in the EV charging space?

Three things: people, people and people!  Their expertise, their reliability and the customer experience they provide on behalf of Actemium UK.

Of course, we are an international brand able to provide scale and long-term continuity but without our people will not go very far!

Are we perfect? Absolutely not. Do we make mistakes? Of course we do. However, we stand up to be counted when the chips are down. We are there for our customers, we do our absolute best and we don’t walk away until the problem is solved. It is in our DNA.

 And finally, what would you say to an operator looking to improve their network reliability?

Don’t try to do it alone. Don’t over-commit and don’t increase your overheads to a level that makes you uncomfortable.

Instead, look to rely upon organisations such as Actemium UK who can complement your own teams and work alongside them hand-in-hand.

This should ensure your network is the best it can be – and that all important revenue stream remains strong enabling a healthy return for the investors. Ideally that will encourage further investment in additional chargers elsewhere in the UK, hopefully to be installed by Actemium.

Interested in how Actemium can support your EV charging projects or maintenance requirements? Visit our Electric Vehicle Charging pages or get it touch via reachout@actemium.co.uk.