The UK has hit a major milestone today, which will help meet its ambitious net zero targets imposed by the Labour Government, new research has revealed.
It comes after data showed that the number of public charge points in the UK has surpassed 75,000, with more electric car owners able to access power points across the UK.
The latest data for February revealed marks a six-year high for the UK as 75,675 charge points become available with high-powered devices continuing to show the strongest growth.
The figures represent a 32 per cent year-on-year increase compared with the same period in 2024, when 57,290 devices were recorded.
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The UK has seen a 35 per cent increase in charging points compared to last year
PA
Operated by Ionity, the 75,000th public charge point has been installed at Village Hotelin Bristol, in close proximity to the M4, M5 and M32 motorways.
Charging points have also been one of the biggest barriers for drivers looking to switch from petrol and diesel cars, who have raised concerns about the price of EVs and postcode lottery for chargers.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder and COO at Zapmap, said: “Having 75,000 public charge points available, across the different charging use cases, is a significant milestone for the UK EV market.
“An extensive network of public charging, especially high visibility hubs, helps drive confidence for the next wave of drivers who will be making the switch to electric over the next few years.”
Meanwhile, Vicky Read, CEO at ChargeUK, explained that the new figure of public charge points is a “significant milestone” and an incredible achievement.
She explained: “We know a successful transition to EVs depends on world-class charging infrastructure being deployed ahead of demand. Today’s announcement is more proof that ChargeUK’s members are getting on with the job, with the public network having grown by 37 per cent in 2024.
“But now is not the time for complacency. Millions more EVs will be sold in the coming years, so we need to keep the momentum going with ChargeUK’s members having committed to invest £6billion by 2030 to do just this.”
Read detailed how equalising VAT payments at public charge points to the same rate as at home chargers of five per cent could help with EV adoption.
Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV, explained how there’s “clearly enough” infrastructure out there for EV drivers, but there has been “far too much of an obsession with lamppost chargers.”
He said: “They’re handy for people who need to charge overnight but they’re rubbish for everything else and there’s too many of them. Many of these chargers don’t have contactless payments and are installed with little thought for accessibility.
“Cheap lamppost chargers are not the best solution for everyone, and many will be nothing but street litter in a few years’ time given how quickly batteries are improving. However, the kit has come a long way, and there’s more of a focus now on putting ultra-rapid chargers in the ground, which are the chargers drivers actually want to use.”
He warned that the UK needs to upgrade the old chargers and that charging providers have a responsibility to make sure chargers “suit what drivers want today” and not what they wanted three years ago.
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There are now more than 75,000 public charging points around the UK
PA
He argued that contactless payments should be introduced at all chargers to “greatly improve the driver experience” and help other people make the switch to an EV.
