The number of ultra-rapid DC charge points, which cater to drivers traveling long journeys and looking to charge up quickly, has grown almost 40% since the end of 2021, according to data from Zap-Map, the UK’s leading EV charging app.
The data shows that the total number of charging devices across all types in the UK has grown by almost 15% in the first six months of 2022 (from 28,458 to 32,663). This indicates that the charging network across the country is keeping pace with the increase in EV drivers, which has grown 29% since the end of December.
“We know there are a variety of use cases for electric vehicle chargers, more so than with a petrol or diesel vehicle, so it’s really encouraging to see the UK’s charging infrastructure showing growth in a number of different areas,” said Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO of Zap-Map.
In terms of chargers’ location, of the 4,205 new devices installed this year, 1,662 of them are ‘on-street’ chargers. Found on residential streets, on-street devices tend to be either slow or fast AC chargers and provide an alternative to charging at home. The number of these chargers has increased by just under 19% in 2022 so far, growing from 8,842 at the end of 2021 to 10,504 at the end of June.
Although a combination of networks, including char.gy and Connected Kerb, has been driving the growth of on-street chargers, ubitricity – which predominantly fits slow devices into lampposts – has installed 981 chargers so far this year, the most of any network.
While London has seen the highest number of devices installed this year, increasing from 9,160 devices at the end of 2021 to 10,865 at the end of June, the East of England has also seen significant growth, with 1,775 devices on the ground at the end of 2021, and 2,097 by the end of June – an increase of 18%.
“It’s crucial that the rollout of high-speed charging hubs continues at pace, alongside the increasing provision of on-street chargers for those without driveways, ideally with local councils engaged along the way,” added Shufflebotham.