Charge point ‘misunderstanding’ between councils and advertiser

Councils that signed a digital advertising exclusivity deal with JCDecaux wrongly believed it was stopping them installing public charge points for electric vehicles (EVs).

With chargers carrying digital advertising, councils thought they could breach their contract with JCDecaux for digital advertising boards and bus stops already in place.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has moved to clarify the misunderstanding, with JCDecaux confirming EV charge point installations could progress as long as there was a “distance of more than 25 meters” from existing infrastructure. 

In an open letter from the CMA to transport bodies and councils, it urges councils to review their arrangements accordingly and install more chargers.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “The CMA has helped unlock a niche barrier to boosting the EV network. 

“Some councils felt they had inadvertently blocked their ability to help expand the public charging network, but clarification from JCDecaux shows that everyone can see the potential EV infrastructure brings.

“While the National Audit Office report says the UK is on target to reach 300,000 publicly available chargers by 2030, we want local authorities to push for better and increase their local network as soon as possible. This would help give drivers the confidence to switch at the first possible opportunity.”