UK now has over 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers

Rapid chargers are essential to allow EV drivers to quickly ‘refuel’ on long journeys, and latest figures show that there are now over 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging points in the UK.

There’s a lot of confusion and inconsistency around the definition of terms such as rapid, ultra-rapid and high-power charge points, but the traditionally accepted definition of rapid (according to the Zemo Partnership) is 50 kW – 149 kW, and ultra-rapid means 150 kW or over.

To break this 10,000 figure down further, there are now 4,504 charging devices of 100 kW or more, comprising 45% of the 10,000 total of rapid and ultra-rapid charging points, which are installed across 5,000 UK charging locations.

The latest figures from Zapmap also show that these devices are increasingly being seen in charging hubs, which Zapmap defines as groups of six or more rapid or ultra-rapid devices. A year ago, at the end of November, there were 99 open-access charging hubs, while at the end of November 2023 this more than doubled to 239.

The overall rate of charge point installation is also accelerating. In November 2022, the overall growth of the UK’s public charging network stood at 34% year on year. A year later, however, that figure has risen to 45% overall, as of November 2023.

Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said: “Hitting the 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid charging devices mark is really important for electric car drivers across the country. Having surpassed 8,000 rapid and ultra-rapid devices as recently as May 2023, it’s fantastic to see this latest milestone arrive just in time for Christmas.

“The availability of more than 5,000 charging locations with rapid or ultra-rapid chargers spread right across the country, many of which are hubs, will give drivers confidence to drive electric wherever they go during the festive period.”