The UK’s 10,000th high power EV charger has been installed in Bradford

A day after the Government announced a £70m fund to help the roll-out of ultra-rapid electric vehicle changepoints at motorway service stations, Zapmap has revealed that the 10,000th rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging points has been installed in the UK, and the rate of installation is accelerating.

Rapid chargers are defined as 25kW-99kW and ultra-rapid are those over 100k.

According to the new data from Zapmap, the 10,000th charge point was a rapid device installed at Sedbergh Leisure Centre in Bradford, and is part of the GeniePoint charging network. The 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid charging devices are installed across 5,000 locations. These form the higher-powered end of the country’s public charging network.

The new statistics also show that the overall rate of charge point installation is accelerating. In November 2022, the overall growth of the UK’s public network stood at 34% year on year – a year later that figure has risen to 45%.

Furthermore, the power rating of the charge points being installed is increasing, with devices over 100kW becoming more common. Three years ago, only 20% of the country’s high-powered chargers were over 100kW, whereas they now represent 45% of that number.

The timing of the milestones demonstrates the acceleration of high-power charge point installation over recent years.

The UK reached 4,000 high-powered chargers in January 2021

The next 2,000 were installed in 17 months. (June 2022)

The next 2,000 were installed in 11 months. (May 2023)

The next 2,000 were installed in six months. (November 2023)

In addition, these high-powered devices are increasingly being seen in charging hubs, which Zapmap defines as groups of six or more rapid or ultra-rapid devices. A year ago, at the end of November, there were 99 open-access charging hubs, while at the end of November 2023 this more than doubled to 239.

Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said: ‘Hitting the 10,000 high-powered charging devices mark is really important for electric car drivers across the country. Having surpassed 8,000 rapid and ultra-rapid devices as recently as May 2023, it’s fantastic to see this latest milestone arrive just in time for Christmas.

‘The availability of more than 5,000 charging locations with rapid or ultra-rapid chargers spread right across the country, many of which are hubs, will give drivers confidence to drive electric wherever they go during the festive period.’

Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, said: ‘It’s great to see the UK surpass 10,000 high-powered charging devices. That’s not only because it illustrates the acceleration in the rate of charge point installation. It’s also because the data shows the increasing prevalence of the highest power devices, those with a power rating of 100kW or more.

‘Having accounted for a fifth of high-power devices in December 2020, now almost half of the UK’s high-powered chargers are capable of delivering 100kW or well above, enabling anyone driving home for Christmas in an electric car to get there that much quicker.’