The 2021 Petrol Shortage Sparked Huge EV Interest. Four Years On, What’s Actually Changed?
- Technical review: Thomas Jevons (Head of Training, 20+ years)
- Employability review: Joshua Jarvis (Placement Manager)
- Editorial review: Jessica Gilbert (Marketing Editorial Team)
- Last reviewed:
- Changes: Full rewrite incorporating 2025 EV registration data, infrastructure figures, and updated installer demand projections
Do you remember September 2021? Queues at petrol stations stretching around the block. Drivers panic-buying. The phrase “fuel crisis” appearing on every news site, every hour, for about two weeks. Right in the middle of it, searches for electric vehicles shot up by an estimated 1,600%. People were asking a very obvious question: why am I still dependent on a petrol forecourt? If you are asking the same question now and want to understand what your options look like on the training and employment side, our frequently asked training questions page covers the most common things people want to know before committing to a course.
But here is the more interesting question. That was 2021. It is now 2026. Did the petrol shortage actually change anything lasting? Or did everyone calm down once the tankers started rolling again, go back to filling up as normal, and forget the whole thing happened?
The honest answer is: both. And the split between those two outcomes tells you a lot about where the EV sector, and the installer demand that comes with it, actually stands right now.
September 2021: What the Numbers Actually Showed
The spike in EV searches during the shortage was real. AutoTrader data confirmed it. Google Trends confirmed it. Reports at the time cited EV inquiry volumes on classified platforms hitting record highs in that fortnight. Some dealers described their busiest ever inquiry period.
What the data also showed is that inquiry and purchase are very different things. EV registrations for the full year 2021 came to roughly 190,000 vehicles. Strong growth on previous years, but not the vertical leap you might expect from a 1,600% search spike. The shortage accelerated the consideration phase for a lot of drivers. It did not immediately translate into purchases at the same rate.
That distinction matters, because it tells you the shortage was a catalyst rather than the cause of what followed.
Four Years On: The Actual Trajectory
Here is where it gets genuinely interesting, because the structural trend has been consistent regardless of fuel disruptions.
By the end of 2021, there were roughly 360,000 fully electric cars on UK roads. By the end of 2023, that had grown to nearly 975,000. By September 2025, the Department for Transport confirmed 1,759,000 licensed zero-emission vehicles on UK roads, a 36% increase on the previous year. BEV registrations reached 473,348 in 2025 alone, representing 23.4% of the entire new car market. In 2022, that figure was 16.6%.
That is not a petrol-shortage bounce. That is a sustained, policy-driven structural shift. The ZEV Mandate now requires 28% of new car sales to be zero-emission in 2025, rising to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Fleet transitions, Benefit-in-Kind tax incentives, and Building Regulations Part S (which mandates EV charge points in new-build homes and non-residential buildings with more than 10 parking spaces) have created a demand floor that does not disappear when fuel becomes available again.
The petrol shortage did not build this market. It reminded people the market was coming, and it nudged a few thousand drivers into making a decision earlier than they otherwise would have.
The Infrastructure Catching Up Behind It
Public charging infrastructure tells a similar story. The UK had around 25,000 public charge point devices at the start of 2021. By the end of 2025, Zapmap recorded 87,796 devices, a 19.1% year-on-year increase. Ultra-rapid chargers (150kW and above) grew by 41% in 2025 alone, reaching 9,893 units. Home and workplace installations now exceed one million across the UK, with domestic installs rising 22% in the first half of 2025.
Greater London currently hosts 25,502 public charge points, more than double any other UK region. The growth rates in the North East and Scotland are faster, driven by targeted government funding and regional infrastructure strategies. Smart Charge Point Regulations, in force since 2022, require that almost all new private chargers include smart functionality. Around 80% of new installations in 2025 were fully compliant.
The infrastructure is not perfect. Rural coverage remains patchy. Home charger data without an OZEV grant attached is not centrally tracked. But the direction of travel is not in question.
Why EV Installation Is Not a Simple Job
This is the part worth slowing down on, because there is a persistent assumption that installing an EV charger is not much different from adding a new socket.
Thomas Jevons, Head of Training at Elec Training, is direct about this:
"There's a common assumption that EV charging installation is straightforward low-voltage work. In practice, you're often dealing with dedicated circuits, surge protection, and sometimes three-phase supplies. Competence matters."
He is not being dramatic. EV chargers draw near-maximum current for many hours at a stretch, a completely different load profile to virtually anything else in a domestic property. Installers need to understand cable sizing and heat dissipation for continuous high loads, the specific earthing arrangements required (including PME fault detection and dedicated earth rods in certain situations), and how to select the correct Type A or Type B RCDs that handle DC leakage standard household RCDs cannot manage.
Installations also need to be notified to the local Distribution Network Operator and certified under Part P of Building Regulations for domestic work. An OZEV-approved qualification and a solid NVQ Level 3 foundation are not optional extras. They are what separates a compliant installation from a liability.
The Skills Gap: Where the Opportunity Actually Lives
This is where the conversation becomes directly relevant to anyone thinking about a career in electrical work, or an existing electrician wondering whether EV installation is worth adding to their skill set.
The UK currently has around 10,000 certified EV installers. Industry estimates suggest the sector will need between 50,000 and 60,000 by 2035. That sits against a backdrop of a 100,000-plus electrician shortage across the UK more broadly. Large electrical contractors are increasingly building dedicated EV divisions rather than relying on subcontractors, which means they are hiring trained, qualified people and keeping them in-house. For career changers in particular, the picture is encouraging, but the route matters enormously.
Joshua Jarvis, Placement Manager at Elec Training, works with contractors every single day:
"Confidence is often the missing piece for career changers considering EV work. Once learners understand that it builds naturally on their existing electrical training, the barrier drops and the opportunity becomes very clear."
EV installation is a specialism built on top of core electrical qualifications, not a shortcut around them. The NVQ Level 3, 18th Edition wiring regulations, and the AM2 assessment are the foundation. Once those are in place, the EV-specific qualification builds directly on work you already understand.
Our training and employment support page explains how that progression looks in practice, including how our in-house recruitment team connects learners with contractor placements across the UK.
What the 2021 Shortage Actually Taught Us
The most useful thing the petrol crisis revealed was not that people suddenly wanted EVs. It was that the vulnerability of centralised fuel supply chains is real, and people feel it very directly when things go wrong. Home charging is fundamentally different. You charge overnight. You do not queue. You are not dependent on a single supply network that can be disrupted by driver shortages, refinery maintenance, or anything else.
That psychological shift, the understanding that energy independence at home is worth something, has not gone away. It just moved from panic-driven search queries into quieter, longer-term consideration. The registration data we looked at earlier reflects exactly that.
Getting Into EV Installation: The Honest Route
If you are based in Herefordshire or the surrounding area and want to understand what a proper pathway into electrical work, including EV installation, actually involves, our page on electrical training in Hereford sets out the available options and how the course structure works.
The full Elec Training pathway runs: Level 2 (2365-02, four weeks), Level 3 (2365-03, eight weeks), 18th Edition (five days), NVQ Level 3 (2357, portfolio and on-site assessment), AM2 exam (three days), and ECS JIB Gold Card application. EV installation specialism sits on top of this once the foundation is secure.
Our NVQ packages start from £10,000, which includes placement support through our in-house recruitment team. That team makes over 100 calls per student to secure contractor placements across our network of 120-plus active partners. The 2021 petrol shortage was a moment of clarity for a lot of people. Four years on, the structural shift it pointed toward is well underway.
Call us on 0330 822 5337 to talk through the route from where you are now to qualified EV installer. We will tell you exactly what it takes, how long it realistically takes, and what our placement team can do to bridge the gap between training completion and first paid site work. No hype. No shortcuts. Just a practical conversation.
FAQs
Did the September 2021 petrol shortage create a lasting increase in EV adoption in the UK?
The September 2021 petrol shortage triggered a sharp but temporary spike in electric vehicle interest. Online searches rose by around 1,600%, and new EV registrations reached a record monthly figure of 32,721, roughly 50% higher year on year.
However, the surge did not produce a sustained acceleration in long-term adoption. Growth in EV market share moderated in the following years due to factors such as rising charging costs and the removal of some incentives. By 2025, registrations were still increasing overall but remained below Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate trajectory targets. The crisis exposed fuel supply vulnerabilities but did not fundamentally change the long-term adoption curve.
How did the reported 1,600% spike in EV searches during the fuel crisis translate into actual vehicle registrations?
The spike in searches reflected heightened public concern during fuel shortages, with long queues at petrol stations driving interest in alternatives. This translated into a strong short-term uplift, with nearly 33,000 pure electric cars registered in September 2021, representing roughly 15% of new car sales that month.
However, the search surge did not convert into proportionally higher long-term registrations. Adoption growth normalised in subsequent years as economic pressures, charging costs and infrastructure constraints influenced purchasing decisions. The data suggests the event created awareness rather than permanently accelerating demand.
What do the latest UK EV registration figures (2021–2025) tell us about the real market trajectory?
UK EV registrations show steady but uneven growth:
- Around 190,000 in 2021
- Approximately 267,000 in 2022
- Around 315,000 in 2023
- About 300,000 in 2024
- Over 350,000 in 2025
This pattern indicates a market that is clearly expanding but not in a straight line. While adoption is rising overall, progress has at times fallen short of policy ambitions, including the 22% ZEV market share target for 2024, where the actual figure was about 19.6%.
The trajectory shows structural growth driven by policy and technology, but still sensitive to cost, infrastructure and consumer confidence.
How is the ZEV Mandate influencing long-term demand for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure?
The ZEV Mandate requires manufacturers to meet rising zero-emission sales targets, beginning at 22% in 2024, increasing to 28% in 2025, then reaching 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
This creates long-term market certainty, encouraging investment in both vehicle supply and charging infrastructure. Evidence from 2025 indicates the policy has supported stronger EV sales momentum, including a reported 29% year-on-year uplift in some months.
Importantly, the mandate also strengthens the business case for expanding home and public charging networks, although credit flexibilities mean some manufacturers can smooth compliance in the short term.
What does the growth to nearly 88,000 public charge points mean for EV charger installation demand in the UK?
Reaching approximately 88,513 public charge points by January 2026 — a 19% annual increase — signals continued expansion of the UK charging network.
Key implications include:
- Over 14,000 new installations added during 2025
- Rapid and ultra-rapid chargers growing fastest (around 24%)
- Ongoing push toward the government ambition of 300,000 public chargers by 2030
For electricians, this indicates sustained demand for installation and maintenance skills, particularly in higher-power charging categories. However, the slightly slower growth rate compared with earlier years suggests the market is beginning to mature rather than accelerate exponentially.
Why is installing an EV charge point more complex than adding a standard domestic circuit?
EV charge point installation involves significantly higher loads, typically around 7 kW or more, which requires formal assessment of the property’s electrical capacity.
Additional complexities include:
- Supply capacity checks and potential upgrades
- Compliance with BS 7671 Section 722
- Requirements under Building Regulations Part S
- Load management considerations
- Mandatory DNO notification
Unlike standard socket circuits, EV installations must be treated as a whole-system design exercise rather than a simple addition.
What earthing, RCD selection and DNO notification issues must electricians consider during EV charger installation?
Several technical factors must be assessed carefully:
Earthing:
PME supplies may require additional protective measures due to open PEN conductor risks. In some cases, a TT arrangement or built-in protective device is necessary.
RCD protection:
Typically requires either:
- Type A RCD with 6 mA DC detection, or
- Type B RCD
This protects against both AC and DC residual currents generated by EV chargers.
DNO notification:
All installations must be notified to the Distribution Network Operator to confirm the local network can support the additional load. In some cases, approval is required before installation.
How big is the current skills gap for EV installers in the UK, and what are the projected workforce needs to 2035?
The skills gap remains significant. Currently, only about 26% of UK technicians are EV qualified, and certification volumes declined by roughly 12.8% in Q3 2025 compared with earlier in the year.
Projections suggest:
- Demand could reach approximately 237,000 EV-competent technicians by 2035
- Supply may reach only around 193,000
- Potential shortfall of more than 44,000 workers
To support projected home charger demand, the industry is expected to need roughly 50,000 to 60,000 active installers by 2035.
What is the proper qualification pathway for electricians who want to move into EV charger installation work?
The typical progression pathway is:
- NVQ Level 3 in Electrical Installation (or equivalent)
- Registration with a Competent Person Scheme (for example NICEIC or NAPIT)
- Specialist EV qualification, such as:
- City & Guilds 2921-31
- LCL Level 3 Award in EV Charging Equipment
This pathway builds competence in design, installation and commissioning in line with BS 7671 and OZEV requirements for grant-eligible work.
What did the 2021 fuel crisis ultimately reveal about the long-term direction of the UK EV and home charging market?
The 2021 petrol shortage highlighted the UK’s vulnerability to fuel supply disruption and briefly accelerated public interest in electric vehicles.
However, the longer-term evidence shows that sustained EV adoption is driven primarily by:
- Policy frameworks such as the ZEV Mandate
- Charging infrastructure availability
- Running costs and electricity pricing
- Consumer confidence
The episode reinforced the importance of reliable home charging infrastructure but did not fundamentally reshape the long-term market trajectory. The UK is still moving steadily toward electrification, but progress depends on infrastructure delivery and workforce capacity rather than short-term shocks.
References
- SMMT Vehicle Registration Data: https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/evs-and-afvs-registrations/
- DfT Vehicle Licensing Statistics (September 2025): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-licensing-statistics-july-to-september-2025/
- Zapmap EV Infrastructure Statistics: https://www.zapmap.com/ev-stats/how-many-charging-points
- OZEV Grants and Schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles
- Smart Charge Point Regulations 2021: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/1467/contents/made
- Building Regulations Approved Document S: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infrastructure-for-charging-electric-vehicles-approved-document-s
- IMI EV Technician Forecast (April 2025): https://tide.theimi.org.uk/industry-latest/research/ev-techsafe-technician-forecast-april-2025
- City & Guilds EV Charging Installation Qualification: https://www.cityandguilds.com/en/qualifications-and-apprenticeships/building-services-industry/electric-vehicle-charging-installation
Note on Accuracy and Updates
Last reviewed: 19 February 2026. This page is maintained. We correct errors and refresh sources as EV registration data, OZEV grant schemes, and charging infrastructure figures are updated.
