WSP and KPMG EV charging role: design and grid notes for highways engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on New Civil Engineer
30 Second Briefing
WSP and KPMG have been appointed to provide technical and advisory support to National Highways as it develops strategic electric vehicle charging infrastructure across England’s Strategic Road Network for the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). The work will focus on planning and delivering high-capacity charging hubs at motorway service areas and key A-road junctions, addressing grid connection constraints and demand forecasting. For civil and electrical engineers, this signals upcoming programmes involving substation upgrades, high-power cabling, pavement and bay reconfiguration, and integration with existing roadside assets.
Technical Brief
- WSP’s role is framed as “technical support”, suggesting lead on engineering feasibility and design assurance.
- KPMG’s remit as “advisory support” points to capex planning, funding models and delivery governance.
Our Take
WSP’s role with National Highways on EV charging comes on top of multiple UK public-sector frameworks in our database – including Wiltshire Council’s £200M highways consultancy and Transport for London’s professional services framework – signalling that it is becoming a default adviser for complex network-wide transport upgrades in England.
The involvement of KPMG alongside WSP suggests National Highways and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles are treating EV charging as both a technical and revenue-structured asset class, similar to how other large UK infrastructure programmes have blended advisory teams to prepare for private capital and concession-style models.
Across the 940 Infrastructure stories in our coverage, relatively few involve central-government bodies like National Highways and OZEV jointly, which likely indicates this EV charging work will help set templates for how future low‑carbon roadside infrastructure is specified and procured across England.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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