Ultra-rapid EV charging network providers InstaVolt is calling on the government to deliver on its commitment to improve EV charging signage after a planning application designed to highlight the issue was rejected by the local planning authority.
The application, submitted in November 2025 for a non-functional, advertising wind turbine at InstaVolt’s flagship Winchester Superhub site, was intended to draw attention to the persistent failure to provide adequate roadside signage directing drivers to public charging infrastructure, a barrier the company says is actively slowing EV adoption.
The Winchester Superhub, located just off the A34 near the M3, is the UK’s largest single-operator ultra-rapid charging hub, with 44 ultra-rapid chargers, an 870-panel solar array and on-site battery storage.
Despite its scale and national significance, the site lacks the clear signage that drivers need to locate it. InstaVolt says this is not an isolated problem: it reflects a systemic gap between the government’s stated ambition on EV infrastructure and its delivery on the ground.
Delvin Lane, Chief Executive Officer of InstaVolt:
“We’re delivering on our commitments to build critical EV infrastructure using private investment, and we need government to deliver on its promises as well. We’ve faced an ongoing battle with signage, and we know more can be done. We’re doing everything we can to make charging simple and convenient for drivers, but too often people still struggle to find charging locations easily. That creates unnecessary friction for drivers and risks slowing wider EV adoption.
“The government has been clear that improving signage for EV charging is a priority. A year on, we are still waiting for that to translate into action. Drivers deserve better, and the wider EV transition depends on it. We will keep making that case until something changes.”
The government has publicly backed improved signage for EV charging sites as part of its strategy to support the transition to electric vehicles and meet its target of ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
InstaVolt believes that progress has stalled, which is in turn slowing down the transition to EVs as drivers who are worried about lack of infrastructure remain unaware of the world-class facilities which exist.
That disconnect, InstaVolt believes, lies not in ambition but in delivery. National policy is set by central government, yet decisions on individual sites rest with local highway authorities and councils, often working to different priorities and timescales. Without clearer coordination between Whitehall and local government, commitments made nationally will continue to stall before they reach the roadside, which is why InstaVolt is calling on government, at both a national and local level, to act.
he company has faced repeated challenges securing adequate signage at sites across its network, and says the issue is particularly acute at larger out-of-town hubs where drivers approaching from major roads have limited advance notice of the facility.
InstaVolt is calling on the government to set a clear timetable for implementing improved EV charging signage standards and to work with local highway authorities to ensure that major public charging sites are properly signposted on the strategic road network.
(Picture: InstaVolt)
