Electric vehicle charging bays and forecourts across Wales are to receive 100% non-domestic rates relief for the next decade under new plans announced by the Welsh Government.

The move is designed to encourage further investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and help expand the network, particularly in areas where drivers currently have limited access to charging points.

The relief will apply until 2036 and is intended to remove a potential financial barrier for businesses and operators at a key stage in the growth of electric vehicles.

For the current financial year, local authorities will be asked to award the relief using their discretionary powers.

Where applicable, this could allow eligible charging infrastructure to receive relief retrospectively from the start of the 2024-25 financial year.

New regulations will then be introduced later this year to put the relief on a statutory footing from 2027-28 through to 2035-36.

Subject to approval by the Senedd, the move will provide charging operators and local authorities with greater certainty over their future business rates liabilities.

The Welsh Government says the measure will help support the continued rollout of the infrastructure needed to encourage more people to make the switch to electric vehicles.

That could be particularly significant in rural and more remote parts of Wales, where access to public charging facilities can be more limited and longer journeys can make reliable charging infrastructure especially important.

Cabinet Minister for Finance Elin Jones said the transition to electric vehicles represented a major opportunity to reduce emissions, but depended on drivers having confidence in the charging network.

She said:

“The switch to electric vehicles is a huge opportunity to cut emissions – but that transition will only work if people can rely on the infrastructure to support it.

“We want to see a thriving charging network right across Wales, including in the areas that need it most, so that nobody is left behind.

“This relief removes a potential barrier to investment in Wales, giving operators the certainty they need to keep expanding infrastructure, without the risk of unexpected rates bills.

“Providing this support for a full decade sends a clear signal that Wales is serious about building a charging network we can all depend on.”

The announcement comes as the number of electric vehicles on Welsh roads continues to grow, increasing demand for accessible public charging facilities.

For North Wales, the expansion of charging infrastructure could be particularly important given the region's large rural areas and the number of visitors travelling along the North Wales coast and through Snowdonia and other tourist destinations.

The Welsh Government says the long-term rates relief is intended to give operators the confidence to invest in new facilities and help create a charging network that is available across the whole of Wales.