Zapmap’s latest figures showed a total of almost 50,000 public charging devices installed across the UK as of the end of September 2023. This represents overall year-on-year growth of more than 43 per cent. The number of higher-powered charging points has grown by over 40 per cent since September 2022, while lower-powered devices display year-on-year growth of 44 per cent.
In breaking these figures down, it was found that ultra-rapid chargers, often installed near motorways and A-roads, and slow charge points, mostly found on residential streets, exhibit the most impressive year-on-year growth.
The number of ultra-rapid charge points (100kW+) in the UK has increased by 68 per cent since September 2022, and the number of slow chargers (3-6kW) has increased by almost 68 per cent, too. Specifically, over the course of the year, 5,749 slow devices have been installed across the country, alongside 1,568 ultra-rapid devices – which are significantly more costly to install.
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO of Zapmap, said: “This is great news for electric car drivers. With almost 200 high-power charging hubs up and down the country, these latest figures should give electric car drivers the confidence to drive any length of journey in their EV.”
Zapmap’s overall figures, however, mask differences in regional distribution of ultra-rapid charging points.
Every area of mainland Great Britain, except Greater London, has shown year-on-year growth of 50 per cent or more for ultra-rapid installation, with the North East (133 per cent increase), Scotland (98 per cent), and Wales (89 per cent) showing the highest increases.
In contrast, Greater London saw the lowest increase in the number of ultra-rapid devices installed over the same period, with 41 per cent.
Zapmap predicts that, in part, this is because high-powered devices cater to drivers looking to charge up as quickly as possible, making longer journeys on motorways or A-roads far easier than they were just a few years ago. Greater London, meanwhile, has a particularly high proportion of slow chargers (around 70 per cent), reflecting the area’s high concentration of relatively affluent households without off-street parking.
Jade Edwards, head of insights at Zapmap, said: “The upwards trend in the number of slow devices on residential streets will soon become a real benefit for electric car drivers not able to charge at home. And while it can be difficult to see larger changes occurring from the ground, EV drivers will certainly feel the benefits from the surge in the number of high-power devices at ultra-rapid charging hubs when charging further afield.”
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