There are now 264 electric vehicle charging hubs in the UK, according to the latest figures from ZapMap.
A charging hub is a location where there are at least six rapid or ultra rapid charging devices. ZapMap, the leading source of EV charging geographic data for the UK, report that there were only 108 charging hubs in December 2022, so the total has risen by 145% in just over a year.
However, the picture is not quite so positive as those figures suggest. Only 20% of these charging hubs are located at motorway service stations. Research by ZapMap has also revealed that only two out of five motorway service stations have six or more rapid or ultra rapid chargers. The government wanted every motorway service area in the country to have this number by the end of 2023. Four motorway service areas have no EV charging facilities at all.
Most charging hubs are strategically located near to major road networks. While the figures generally make encouraging reading – the number of new public chargers rose by 45% last year – it is clear that more work needs to be done to make the charging infrastructure more efficient and fit for purpose.
The growth was fuelled by ultra-rapid chargers, which provide 100kW of power and can charge an electric car in 20-30 minutes, on average.
“These numbers can give drivers further confidence”, said Ian Johnston, chair of ChargeUK. “Our members are putting charge points in the ground at record pace and will spend £6 billion before 2030 on ensuring the UK has the right charging solutions in the right place.
“But we intend to go even further and faster this year to make the UK the best place in the world to drive and charge an EV.”
