Transport body opens market engagement on ultra-rapid EV charging capacity
Early engagement seeks accredited suppliers to help upgrade electricity networks at motorway service areas and support growth in ultra-rapid EV charging.
Early engagement seeks accredited suppliers to help upgrade electricity networks at motorway service areas and support growth in ultra-rapid EV charging.
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National Highways Limited has opened early market engagement for a joint scheme with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to increase electricity network capacity at selected motorway service areas in England. The work is intended to support ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging, signalling a shift towards tackling the power infrastructure behind new charging sites. The notice invites accredited suppliers to contribute information that will shape how the scheme is implemented.
On 6th August 2026, National Highways Limited published a prior information notice for its Charging Infrastructure Development scheme. The notice states that National Highways is collaborating with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to “enhance electricity network capacity at selected motorway service areas in England” so those sites can support ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging.
The emphasis on electricity network capacity places this scheme upstream of the visible charging hardware. Rather than setting out a package of new chargepoints, the notice focuses on the power infrastructure that must be available at motorway service areas if ultra-rapid installations are to be viable. It does not, however, specify which service areas are in scope, what scale of capacity increase is planned or which delivery model will be used, so the overall size of the programme remains unclear.
This focus contrasts with several other recent notices that prioritise the chargepoints themselves. In July 2026, NATIONAL GRID UK LIMITED issued a prior information notice for an EV Charging Infrastructure solution covering supply, design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and back-office support for payments and connectivity. In August 2026, MUNICIPIUL BRASOV launched a contract notice for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure centred on the supply, design, installation and integration of 45 public charging stations to promote electric vehicle use and improve environmental quality.
The prior information notice explains that National Highways is “gathering information from accredited suppliers for the implementation of the scheme”. By choosing this route rather than going straight to a contract notice, the organisation is signalling that it wants to understand market capability and approaches before setting detailed requirements for any future procurement.
Other public bodies have used similar engagement steps on recent electric vehicle projects. In April 2026, Transport for London issued a prior information notice on Zero Emission Fleet Infrastructure, seeking market insights through a questionnaire to inform the installation of around 400 electric vehicle charge points to support a net zero vehicle fleet by 2030. In March 2026, Transport for Wales published a prior information notice for a Bus Depot EV Charging Strategy, asking suppliers to help shape a strategy for installing and managing depot charging infrastructure in line with its decarbonisation objectives and to assess market capabilities ahead of future procurement.
Local authorities are also leaning on pre-market engagement. In June 2026, the London Borough of Haringey issued a prior information notice on its Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, using early discussions to understand which options and innovations can meet current and future demand. In July 2026, South Kesteven District Council published a prior information notice on Electric Vehicle Charge Points Research, seeking provider input on delivery solutions and procurement approaches for rapid and ultra-rapid charge points across council-owned sites. Milton Keynes City Council returned to market engagement in August 2026 with its ChargeHubs EV Network Expansion notice after a previous procurement was terminated due to non-compliant bids, underlining the importance of getting specification and commercial structures right before tendering.
National Highways’ motorway-focused scheme sits alongside a dense pipeline of electric vehicle infrastructure projects that concentrate on local, regional and national networks. In June 2026, Canada’s Department of Natural Resources (NRCan) issued a contract notice for an EV Charging Infrastructure Assessment, seeking a national review of charging needs that looks at policy shifts, market changes, technology trends and regional grid readiness. The emphasis on grid readiness in that scope echoes National Highways’ focus on electricity network capacity at motorway service areas.
Within England, several authorities are drawing on the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund to widen access for residents without off-street parking. Shropshire Council’s June 2026 prior information notice for LEVI Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure seeks service providers to expand charge points while emphasising equitable access and preparing for increased electric vehicle adoption by 2035. Lancashire County Council’s May 2026 contract notice for an Electric Vehicle Charging Initiative and the West of England Combined Authority’s June 2026 contract notice for Electric Vehicle Charging Services both focus on helping local authorities deliver on-street solutions for similar groups of residents, supported by Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding.
Other authorities are testing concession and service-based models. North Somerset Council’s May 2026 contract notice for an Electric Vehicle Charging Points Concession seeks a provider to deliver a complete solution, with revenue from charge point tariffs going to the supplier. Turun kaupunki’s February 2026 prior information notice for an Electric Vehicle Charging Service sets out a concession in which the supplier will install and operate “electric vehicle charging streets as a service” while compensating the client for use of public space. Cork County Council’s July 2026 contract notice to establish a shortlist for EV Chargers brings in contractors to design, supply, install, operate and maintain public units as part of a pilot scheme funded by the Department of Transport.
Fleet and estate operators are also adjusting their infrastructure. In March 2026, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation released a prior information notice for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure across Ministry of Defence sites, covering construction, operation and maintenance of charge points. Municipal transport operators such as Dopravní společnost Zlín-Otrokovice, s.r.o. and Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG have issued contract notices for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Charging Infrastructure for Electric Buses respectively, including the supply, installation and connection of bus charging stations, system management equipment and integration services to support the electrification of specific bus lines. Together, these projects show how charging infrastructure is being planned across residential streets, depots and large estates, while National Highways focuses on motorway service areas and the electricity networks that serve them.
The National Highways prior information notice does not yet set out which motorway service areas will be upgraded, how much additional capacity is planned or how procurement will be structured. It also omits any timetable for works. Those details would be expected in later contract notices or tender documents once the organisation has reviewed feedback from accredited suppliers and refined the scope of the scheme.
For suppliers with relevant accreditation, the notice signals that motorway-based ultra-rapid charging is moving alongside local and regional schemes as a live area of public sector investment. The collaboration with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles underlines central government interest in how these high-capacity sites develop and how they align with wider electric vehicle and decarbonisation policy.
Other forthcoming opportunities highlight how varied that landscape will be. Westminster City Council’s August 2026 prior information notice on EV Charging Points Procurement seeks to engage the market on the supply, maintenance and management of 39 AC fast charge points to support its commitment to net zero emissions and improved air quality. Yorkshire Housing Limited’s March 2026 prior information notice on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure seeks a partner to develop and manage charging infrastructure, including existing systems, to support decarbonisation efforts. Set against these local and housing-led schemes, National Highways’ motorway-oriented Charging Infrastructure Development programme will be one to watch as further detail emerges on how electricity network capacity at key service areas will be upgraded.
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