Zapmap, the UK’s main cost level mapping service, has printed new statistics for cost level installations in 2023. The brand new figures not solely present that the variety of high-power charging hubs within the UK has greater than doubled since September final yr, however exhibit encouraging development in two key areas of the nation’s cost level infrastructure.
At current, the newest Zapmap figures present there are virtually 50,000 public charging units put in as of the top of September 2023. This represents general year-on-year development of greater than 43%. What’s extra, the brand new statistics present that the variety of higher-powered charging factors has grown by over 40% since September 2022, whereas lower-powered units show year-on-year development of 44%.
The brand new figures break these classes down additional, nevertheless. They present that ultra-rapid chargers – typically discovered close to motorways and A-roads – and gradual cost factors – principally discovered on residential streets – exhibit essentially the most spectacular year-on-year development of the completely different energy bandings.
The variety of ultra-rapid cost factors within the UK has elevated by 68% since September 2022, with the variety of gradual chargers growing by virtually 68% as properly. Certainly, over the course of the yr, 5,749 gradual units have been put in throughout the nation, alongside 1,568 ultra-rapid units – that are considerably extra expensive to put in.
Whereas the variety of chargers put in kinds the idea of the brand new statistics, Zapmap’s newest figures present different key items of the puzzle too, demonstrating the varieties of places drivers are more likely to discover ultra-rapid chargers, in addition to the place within the nation this important infrastructure is being put in.
As an illustration, the figures present that drivers are almost certainly to seek out ultra-rapid chargers at service stations and retail automobile parks. On the finish of September, there have been 1,457 ultra-rapid units at service stations throughout the UK – a rise of 82% on the earlier yr – and 892 at retail automobile parks, a 61% enhance year-on-year.
Most importantly, nevertheless, the variety of ultra-rapid charging hubs with six or extra units (excluding private Tesla units) has additionally proven spectacular year-on-year development of 123%. On the finish of September, there have been 196 places throughout the UK with six or extra ultra-rapid units – up from 88 in September 2022.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, stated: “The variety of high-power charging hubs within the UK has greater than doubled within the final yr, and that is nice information for electrical automobile drivers. With virtually 200 high-power charging hubs up and down the nation, these newest figures ought to give electrical automobile drivers the boldness to drive any size of journey of their EV. As we method the October half time period, having a further 108 new charging hubs throughout the UK speaks volumes – and is a big step up from final yr. These multi-charger hubs make an actual distinction for electrical automobile drivers, offering peace of thoughts on longer journeys.”
Furthermore, whereas the Zapmap figures show spectacular general development of 68% year-on-year for ultra-rapid units, this determine masks variations in regional distribution.
Certainly, each space of mainland Nice Britain besides Better London has proven year-on-year development of fifty% or extra for ultra-rapids, with the North East (133% enhance), Scotland (98%), and Wales (89%) displaying the best will increase.
In distinction, Better London (41%) noticed the bottom enhance within the variety of ultra-rapid units put in over the identical interval.
Partly, it’s because high-powered units corresponding to ultra-rapid chargers cater to drivers seeking to cost up as rapidly as attainable, making longer journeys on motorways or A-roads far simpler than they had been just some years in the past. Better London, in the meantime, has a very excessive proportion of gradual chargers (round 70%), reflecting the realm’s excessive focus of comparatively prosperous households with out off-street parking.
Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, stated: “These statistics assist to present readability on how the UK’s charging infrastructure is rising as a result of they spotlight necessary development at two key ends of the charging spectrum. For starters, the upwards development within the variety of gradual units on residential streets will quickly turn into an actual boon for electrical automobile drivers not capable of cost at house. And whereas it may be tough to see bigger modifications occurring from the bottom, drivers up and down the nation will definitely really feel the advantages from the surge within the variety of high-power units at ultra-rapid charging hubs when charging additional afield. These are two important segments of the UK’s charging infrastructure, and it’s nice to see these newest Zapmap figures shining a light-weight on such optimistic modifications.”
Energy Ranking GroupDevices Finish Sept 2022Devices Finish Sept 2023YOY GrowthSlow8,50314,25268percentFast19,74826,42134percentRapid4,2415,33619percentUltra-Rapid2,3053,87368percentAll34,79749,88243%
Places Finish Sept 2022Locations Finish Sept 2023YOY GrowthHubs88196123%
Hubs are outlined as places which have 6 or extra Fast/Extremely-Fast units (excluding TESLA non public websites).
The 4 energy rankings which are tracked above are at present outlined as gradual (3-6kW), quick (7-22kW), fast (25-99kW) and ultra-rapid (100kW+).
The Public Cost Level Laws (at present in draft laws as of July 2023) are aligning the general public charging trade round new energy score bandings. The brand new banding might be categorised into <8kW, 8-49kW, 50-149kW, 150kW+. All Zapmap reporting might be up to date to make use of these new bandings by the top of 2023.
Oct 7, 2023