New figures have revealed that, since the end of 2021, the number of rapid chargers for EVs in the UK has risen by 40%…
Rapid Chargers Galore
The Government intends to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2030. This ban entails a broad electrification of the nation’s automotive industry; and requires extensive, and reliable, charging infrastructure. Fortunately, things seem to be moving in the right direction – with the number of rapid chargers in the country significantly increasing.
Figures released by Zap-Map, a website that tracks charging infrastructure, the number of rapid chargers has increased by an impressive 40% since the end of 2021. This, according to the website, suggests that infrastructure is finally started to keep up with the sale of electric vehicles. For instance, the number of EV drivers has increased by 29% in the first half of 2022.
So far, the rollout of rapid chargers is due to private initiatives. Networks including InstaVolt, Gridserve’s Electric Highway and MFG EV Power are creating ‘hubs’ of rapid chargers (at least six chargers at each) across the country.
‘Really Encouraging’
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO at Zap-Map, commented on the rising number of rapid chargers. She said, “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”.
She continued, “the 40% increase in the number of ultra-rapid chargers is clearly the headline figure so far in 2022. These types of chargers make longer journeys far easier, so the big increase should really mean we see an end to ‘range anxiety’”.
Nevertheless, she emphasised that there is still a role to be played by slower chargers. She explained, “let’s not forget that slower chargers also have a critical role to play. They might not provide the excitement of adding hundreds of miles in minutes – but with more than half a million pure-electric cars now on UK roads, their part to play in the adoption of electric cars is just as important as their ultra-rapid counterparts”.
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