UK now has more than 50,000 public EV chargers

Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2023 | Author: Sean Keywood

There are now more than 50,000 public EV chargers available in the UK, according to Zapmap.

The charger mapping service said the landmark 50,000th charger to be installed was an ultra-rapid device at a service station in Weston-super-Mare, operated by MFG EV Power.

Zapmap said the milestone demonstrated an accelerating rate of charger installation, with the 40,000th only having arrived in February this year, while the 30,000th was installed in February 2022.

Zapmap said that at the current rate of installation, it expected the UK's 100,000th charger to be installed in August 2025.

Zapmap co-founder and COO Melanie Shufflebotham said: "Hitting 50,000 public charging devices is a really important milestone for the country and illustrates the sea change behind the increased rate of charge point installations.

"Alongside the number of high-power charging hubs in the UK more than doubling in the past year, as we saw last week, these are changes that bring real benefits to electric car drivers up and down the country."

Ian Johnston, chair of charging industry body ChargeUK, said: "This is a significant milestone and a testament to the investment, vision and hard work of our members.

"The rate of deployment is increasing all the time, in the last 12 months alone the public charge point network has increased by 43%. However, we can go further and faster with the right policies and help from government to remove barriers that constrain the roll-out.

"Public chargers are part of a wider picture. The way people charge their EV depends on their lifestyle, many people charge at home, others charge on their street, whilst many will either charge at destinations or en route on their journeys.

"Our members are focused on ensuring drivers have access to the right charger in the right place."

What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide