UK's Electric Car Charging Infrastructure Surpasses 50,000 Public Points

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【Summary】The UK now has over 50,000 public charge points for electric cars, showing a 43% growth compared to last year. Slow and ultra-rapid chargers have seen the most installations, increasing by 68%. The country is expected to reach 100,000 charge points by the end of 2026. Additionally, there are now 3,873 chargers capable of delivering over 100kW of power. The government is drafting new regulations that will categorize charge points based on power ratings.

FutureCar Staff Oct 12, 2023 11:17 PM PT

UK's Electric Car Charging Infrastructure Surpasses 50,000 Public Points

The UK has achieved a significant milestone in the adoption of electric cars, with over 50,000 public charge points now available. According to Zapmap data, this represents a 43% growth in charge points compared to the previous year. The installation of both slow and ultra-rapid chargers has seen the highest increase, with each category experiencing a 68% growth. Zapmap predicts that by the end of 2026, the UK will reach the 100,000 charge point milestone.

Providing context, the UK currently has 8,365 fuel stations, highlighting the rapid expansion of the public charging infrastructure. The 40,000th charge point was installed in February of this year, indicating an acceleration in the rollout of charging infrastructure. Weston-super-mare is now home to the 50,000th charge point, an ultra-rapid charger installed by MFG EV power. There are currently 3,873 chargers capable of delivering more than 100kW of power.

Zapmap, a resource for EV drivers, provides detailed information on the location and status of charge points in the UK. It also offers a simplified payment method through ZapPay. The current data categorizes charge points into four power ratings: slow (3-6kW), fast (7-22kW), rapid (25-99kW), and ultra-rapid (100kW+). However, the UK government is drafting new regulations that will introduce new ratings: <8kW, 8-49kW, 50-149kW, and 150kW+. Additionally, the number of charging hubs with six or more chargers has increased from 88 to 196 in the past year.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder & COO at Zapmap, emphasizes the significance of reaching 50,000 public charging devices and highlights the positive impact on electric car drivers across the country. In other news, Vital EV has commissioned the UK's first liquid-cooled chargers capable of delivering up to 400kW of power. While these chargers are currently only available for prototype and production cars at a testing facility, they may become more widely accessible in the near future.