There are now 53,906 public electric vehicle charge points in the UK - a rise of 45% compared with 2022.
That’s according to the latest figures from Zapmap, the UK’s leading charge point mapping service, and it’s good news if you’re an EV driver or a motorist looking to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered vehicle in 2024.
Zapmap says the ‘record growth’ of public chargers is the ‘defining characteristic of the year’.
The magic 50,000 chargers marker was passed in October 2023, while almost 1,400 new charging devices were added every single month throughout the past year.
And the good news continues.
Most of the growth was from ultra-rapid chargers providing 100kW or more of power. Those chargers can add around 100 miles worth of range in just 15 minutes, as long as you’ve got an EV that supports them.
A Zapmap spokesperson said: “A total of almost 315,000 pure-electric cars were sold in the UK last year, which means there are 51% more EVs on the road than at the end of 2022. In parallel, the number of high-powered chargers grew by 52% in 2023, to a total of almost 10,500 devices across more than 5,000 locations at the end of December.”
There was also a significant growth in what Zapmap calls ‘charging hubs - ie, locations that have more than six rapid or ultra-rapid devices. Those hubs rose from 108 at the end of December 2022 up to 264 by the end of 2023 – an increase of 145%.
A Zapmap spokesperson added: “These charging hubs are opening in a variety of locations, typically near strategic road networks. Interestingly only 20% are located at motorway services, and charging hubs can be found in a variety of locations from retail parks, car parks, fuel stations to dedicated charging areas which provide amenities for EV drivers.”
There are 72% more on-street, low power chargers than there were this time last year, although Zapmap points out how the rollout is ‘regionally patchy’ and ‘largely dependent on the engagement at a local authority level’.
In 2023, however, there was good progress in the rollout of the government’s £450m LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) funding scheme to support local authorities, and it is expected that 2024 will see further developments in this area.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said: “Whilst less than 3% of EV drivers would go back to petrol / diesel, we know that EV drivers want more chargers and a better charger experience. As we move into 2024 we look forward to continued progress in both these areas as more and more drivers make the positive move to driving electric.”
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