- The UK added over 11,000 public EV chargers in early 2024, marking a 46% year-on-year increase.
- Monthly charger installations rose to 1,865 in 2024, up 34% from 2023, boosting rapid and ultra-rapid chargers.
- High-powered and residential on-street charging expanded significantly, supported by government funding, improving nationwide EV charging accessibility.
Zapmap has released figures for the first six months of 2024, revealing a huge boost in the nation’s public EV charge points
2024 has witnessed a surge in the UK’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. According to new statistics from Zapmap, the number of public charge points has surpassed 64,000. That marks an impressive net increase of 11,195 chargers in just six months. This represents a substantial 46% growth compared to last year.
The pace of charge point installations has notably accelerated. In 2023, an average of 1,387 charging devices were installed monthly. This year, the monthly average has climbed to 1,865, reflecting a 34% increase.
Rapid and ultra-rapid chargers have seen significant growth
Their numbers have risen by 49% since June 2023, now totalling over 12,551. Furthermore, the country now boasts 5,416 high-powered 150kW+ chargers. Therefore, we’ve more than doubled the number from June 2023—a remarkable 114% increase.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said:
“The past six months have been extremely positive for public charging infrastructure in the UK – not least because more than 11,000 additional charge points are now available for electric car drivers across the country.
For drivers who are looking to make the switch to electric, but are not quite sure yet, they need to have the confidence that the public charging network is there for them, particularly on longer journeys. That’s why it is fantastic to see such progress in en-route charging as well as in the rollout of so many, highly visible, charging hubs.
Our mission at Zapmap is to make charging simple for EV drivers when they are out and about, and the continued growth of the public charging network makes this task much easier.”
Regionally, every area has made strides in installing high-powered chargers. The North West and South West have recorded growth rates of 178% and 163%, respectively. Wales and Northern Ireland have also shown substantial progress, with increases of 180% and 388%.
In addition, over 120 new high-power charging hubs have been established since the end of 2023, bringing the total to 386. Projects like InstaVolt’s EV charging Super Hub, aiming to be the UK’s largest rapid-only charging hub, are propelling this number into the stratosphere.
Residential on-street charging has also seen a boost.
Nearly 3,500 new on-street chargers have been added this year, bringing the total to 23,290. Greater London has led the way with a 59% increase, raising its count to 17,269 chargers. While cities like Coventry, Brighton, and Liverpool have improved coverage, many areas outside London are still lagging slightly.
These figures echo the UK’s tendency towards London-centrism, but, projects to expand infrastructure equitably are underway. Furthermore, Government support through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding is set to expand on-street charging provision significantly by 2025.
Vicky Read, CEO at ChargeUK, said:
“ChargeUK, the voice of the UK’s EV charging industry, welcomes these new figures from Zapmap. The continuation of this incredible growth in charge point deployment should give confidence to EV drivers that the network they need is there for them.
ChargeUK looks forward to working with whoever forms the next government to build on this momentum and ensure charging provision remains ahead of demand.
Our manifesto, launched in May, outlines the actions needed – help us get even more public chargers in the ground by removing barriers, support us to offer affordable charging by equalising VAT, and maximise our investment by speeding up and clarifying public funding.”
