Public EV charging installations grow 45% year-on-year

The number of new public chargers installed across the UK has risen by 45 per cent year-on-year, according to newly released figures.

Data from chargepoint mapping provider Zap Map shows that the number of new public chargers installed across the country has increased considerably, up on the 31 per cent seen in the years 2021 to 2022.

In October 2023, the UK passed the 50,000 public charger milestone, representing a considerable uptick on the 40,000 chargers that had been installed as of February 2023.

— Zapmap (@zap_map) January 8, 2024

During the year, the rate of new chargers installed increased to 1,400 devices each month, up from 730 per month during 2022. It represents a growth of 89 per cent in the pace of charge point installations each month.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said: “Overall 2023 was a very good year for EV charging with the rate of installation showing record growth, particularly for the higher powered chargers to support EV drivers on longer journeys.

“Zapmap’s focus continues to be on providing EV drivers with the information they need to find reliable, available charging when they are out and about. Whilst less than 3% of EV drivers would go back to petrol / diesel, we know that EV drivers want more chargers and a better charger experience.

⚡️ With 27,000+ new pure-electric cars sold last month, the final section of the jigsaw confirms record sales of new #PureElectric cars (#BEVs) in 2023 – of almost 315,000 cars. pic.twitter.com/V9PIxjI62D

— Zapmap (@zap_map) January 5, 2024

The news comes alongside the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders end-of-year results which showed that close to “315,000 electric vehicles were sold in the UK last year, resulting in there being 51 per cent more EVs on the roads than at the end of 2022.

Running alongside this is an increase of 52 per cent in the number of high-powered chargers installed in the UK during 2023, to a total of 10,500 devices installed across more than 5,000 locations by the end of the year.

Most of the growth was undertaken in the installation of ultra-rapid chargers delivering speeds of over 100kW. These are able to add the most amount of charge in the least time, with compatible EVs able to take on 100 miles of range in around 20 minutes. At the end of 2023, 4,870 of these chargers were in place in the UK.

The number of sites with more than six rapid or ultra-rapid chargers – often referred to as ‘hubs’ – also increased by 145 per cent, rising from 108 sites at the end of December 2022 to 264 by the end of 2023.