Number of ultra-rapid charge points up by 68%

The number of ultra-rapid charge points in the UK has increased by 68% over the past year, new data from Zapmap suggests.

The number of slow chargers has risen by almost 68% as well, with the latest Zapmap figures showing there were almost 50,000 public charging devices installed as of the end of September.

This represents overall year-on-year growth of more than 43%, with higher-powered charging points having grown by over 40% since September 2022, while lower-powered devices display year-on-year growth of 44%.

Over the past year, 5,749 slow devices have been installed across the country, alongside 1,568 ultra-rapid devices.

The new figures also show that the number of high-power charging hubs in the UK has more than doubled since September last year.

The number of ultra-rapid charging hubs with six or more devices (excluding non-public Tesla devices) has also shown impressive year-on-year growth of 123%.

At the end of September, there were 196 locations across the UK with six or more ultra-rapid devices – up from 88 in September 2022.

“This is great news for electric car drivers,” said Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and chief operating officer at Zapmap.

“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.

“As we approach the October half term, having an additional 108 new charging hubs across the UK speaks volumes – and is a huge step up from last year.

“These multi-charger hubs make a real difference for electric car drivers, providing peace of mind on longer journeys.”

Zapmap has also looked at the types of locations drivers are likely to find ultra-rapid chargers, as well as where in the country this vital infrastructure is being installed. 

For instance, the figures show that drivers are most likely to find ultra-rapid chargers at service stations and retail car parks.

At the end of September, there were 1,457 ultra-rapid devices at service stations across the UK – an increase of 82% on the previous year – and 892 at retail car parks, a 61% increase year-on-year.

Regional distribution of charge points

The headline figures mask differences in regional distribution.

Indeed, every area of mainland Great Britain except Greater London has shown year-on-year growth of 50% or more for ultra-rapids, with the North East (133% increase), Scotland (98%), and Wales (89%) showing the highest increases.

In contrast, Greater London (41%) saw the lowest increase in the number of ultra-rapid devices installed over the same period.

In part, this is because high-powered devices such as ultra-rapid chargers 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%), reflecting the area’s high concentration of relatively affluent households without off-street parking.

Jade Edwards, head of insights at Zapmap, said: “These statistics help to give clarity on how the UK’s charging infrastructure is growing because they highlight important growth at two key ends of the charging spectrum.

“For starters, the upwards trend in the number of slow devices on residential streets will soon become a real boon for electric car drivers not able to charge at home.

“And, while it can be difficult to see larger changes occurring from the ground, drivers up and down the country will certainly feel the benefits from the surge in the number of high-power devices at ultra-rapid charging hubs when charging further afield.

“These are two vital segments of the UK’s charging infrastructure, and it’s great to see these latest Zapmap figures shining a light on such positive changes.”

The four power ratings that are tracked above are currently defined as slow (3-6kW), fast (7-22kW), rapid (25-99kW) and ultra-rapid (100kW+). 

The Public Charge Point Regulations (currently in draft legislation as of July 2023) are aligning the public charging industry around new power rating bandings.

The new banding will be categorised into <8kW, 8-49kW, 50-149kW, 150kW+. All Zapmap reporting will be updated to use these new bandings by the end of 2023.