Boost For EVs As Charging Locations Surpass Petrol Stations

Tue 28th May 2019

A new survey has revealed that May 2019 is the month that there are officially more EV charging points in the UK than petrol stations.

The new figures, revealed by Zap-Map shows that there are 8,471 charging locations, with a total of 13,613 individual plug-in points - that compares to 8,400 petrol stations nationally.

While EV charge points are on the rise, a 57 per cent increase in the last year, petrol station numbers are actually in decline, however plenty needs to be done to further strengthen the EV charging network. The majority of charging points are based on the 50kW rating, which can fully charge most standard EVs in 40 minutes, and though there are a growing number of ultra-rapid points, there still needs to many more to meet demand. There are estimated to be 210,000 EVs on UK roads, up from 3,500 only six years ago and analysts are predicting there will be more than a million in use by 2022.

Ben Lane, co-founder and CTO at Zap-Map said: “The public and private sectors are now investing heavily in the UK’s EV charging infrastructure to ensure that there are sufficient charging points to support the growing electric fleet.

“This month’s milestone reveals of the rapid pace of change already underway as the age of the combustion engine gives way to an all-electric era with vehicles offering both zero-emissions and a better driving experience.”