More than 100,000 EV chargers heading for landfill as expert issues warning
Published on Jul 09, 2025 at 9:03 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jul 09, 2025 at 12:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
An estimated 100,000 EV chargers could end up in landfill in the UK alone by the year 2030, an expert has warned.
As charging technology moves at a rapid rate, many older chargers simply won’t be able to keep up.
Sadly, that means that hundreds of thousands of them may end up in landfill.
But there could be a solution.
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Thousands of EV chargers could be destined for landfill
Across the industry, we’re seeing major updates and upgrades to both electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, from Tesla’s rollout of Superchargers across the US to the new Super e-Platform five-minute charger.
And while these advancements are great news for motorists and EV lovers, it can be bad news for the environment, which is not ideal if you made the switch to an all-electric to be more sustainable.
As most EV chargers are sealed units, they can receive over-the-air updates to upgrade software, but the hardware can’t be updated.
The design of most chargers means they cannot be opened up without being destroyed.
This means that when the technology becomes outdated, most will be destined to end up landfill.
“It’s time consumers knew the truth about charger lifespans – and some won’t last as long as the electric cars they charge,” said Simpson & Partners co-founder Mandy Simpson.
“Building the electric vehicle infrastructure is crucial to encourage greater electric vehicle uptake, but not if the chargers can’t be updated.
“The majority of chargers bought today are sealed units that can’t be updated – they have to be thrown out and replaced as new technology arrives.”
In an attempt to cut those numbers, Simpson & Partners have come up with an alternative – a modular, updatable EV charger that is designed to evolve and ‘built to stay useful for the long haul’.
The chargers feature upgradeable hardware and software, so they can be updated for new advancements such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
“We refuse to design, engineer, and manufacture products that just end up in landfill,” Simpson added. “It really should not be happening in our journey to a more sustainable world.”
Is this the future of EV batteries?
Last month, a British-made EV battery that fully recharges in 18 seconds was given the green light to go into mass production.
The VarEVolt was originally designed for hypercars like the Czinger 21C – cars so fast and futuristic they look like props from a sci-fi movie.
However, it features a modular design that can be tweaked to suit just about any type of car. If you want a battery focused on long-range, or ideal for maximum acceleration the battery can simply be switched up to suit.
Clever stuff.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
