12 February 2024

One-in-five EV Chargers are Rapid or Ultra Rapid in the UK

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released updated statistics on electric vehicle (EV) charge points, shedding light on both the quantity and geographical distribution of these devices.

Over the past year, the public charging network in the UK has expanded by 45%, witnessing the installation of 16,622 new devices. As of January 1, the total number of charge points reached 53,677. As businesses continue their electrification journeys, the charging infrastructure is vital to ensure drivers are always supported all over the UK.

Of these, 10,118 devices were categorized with a power rating of 50kW or higher, constituting 19% of all charging devices. Additionally, 31,910 charge points had a power rating ranging from 3-8kW, making up 59% of the overall network. Destination charging devices, commonly found at the end of a journey or locations where drivers typically pause for an extended period, accounted for the majority, totalling 24,121 devices or 45% of all publicly available charging devices.

"On-street" charging devices, situated exclusively on residential streets, comprised 39% of charging devices or 20,705 units. The distribution of charging devices across the UK was reported to be uneven in its current state according to the DfT. This has been caused by cities taking up much of the funding for chargers in the UK.

Various UK local authorities have applied for government funding for charging devices, while others have not. The majority of infrastructure provision has been driven by market forces, with individual charging networks and businesses, such as hotels, determining the locations for device installation.

It is important for drivers to be aware of their routes to and from work and pre-plan routes if they have more than one destination for work. Fleet managers can assist drivers with various telematics devices and programmes to ensure the most efficient charging patterns.