In a landmark stride toward more sustainable travel, the UK recently celebrated the installation of its 50,000th electric vehicle (EV) charging device. Installed by MFG EV Power at a service station in Weston-super-Mare, this charge point is a significant beacon reflecting the concerted efforts towards sustainability and the widespread adoption of EVs.
Just a few months prior, in February, the 40,000th charging point, a GeniePoint charger, was introduced at Morrisons Southport, further embedding the trajectory of robust growth in the EV infrastructure. Reflecting back, the 30,000th charging device was a BP Pulse, positioned in Botany Bay in Kent in February 2022, closely following the 20,000th—a Pod Point charger at a Tesco in Scarborough, which was established in September 2020. The journey commenced notably with the 10,000th charging device, an InstaVolt, integrated at Meadowfield Filling Station back in August 2018.
Recent quarterly statistics by Zapmap underscore the momentum in the EV sector. Since September 2022, there has been a 68% surge in the number of ultra-rapid charge points and an almost equivalent increment in slow chargers across the UK. Projections by Zapmap highlight an optimistic future, predicting the establishment of 100,000 charging devices by August 2025, given the prevailing rate of installations.
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and chief operating officer at Zapmap, voiced her insights, stating,
“Hitting 50,000 public charging devices is a really important milestone for the country and illustrates the sea change behind the increased rate of charge point installations.
“Having passed 40,000 charge points in February, our predictions are that there will be 100,000 chargers by August 2025 – which would certainly be a major achievement.
“Alongside the number of high-power charging hubs in the UK more than doubling in the past year, as we saw last week, these are changes that bring real benefits to electric car drivers up and down the country.”
Ian Johnson, chair of ChargeUK, highlighted the accelerated deployment pace of charging points.
“In the last 12 months alone, the public charge point network has increased by 43%,” he said.
“However, we can go further and faster with the right policies and help from government to remove barriers that constrain the roll-out.
“Public chargers are part of a wider picture. The way people charge their EV depends on their lifestyle, many people charge at home, others charge on their street, whilst many will either charge at destinations or en route on their journeys.
“Our members are focussed on ensuring drivers have access to the right charger in the right place.”
Dan Caesar, CEO at Fully Charged, emphasised that the UK is embracing the EV revolution:
“Hitting this milestone is a great achievement from the country’s charge point operators, and excellent news for anyone who drives an electric car or is thinking of getting one.
“Despite what you might read in some sections of the press, the upwards trend in the growth of the charging network could not be clearer.
“For those who are considering a switch to electric, you won’t regret it. Not only are electric cars essential for reaching Net Zero but they are simply better - and there are now over 50,000 places across the country where you can charge yours up again.”
William Bannister, CEO of MFG, celebrated the achievement:
“I’m delighted that it was an MFG installation which brought Zapmap to a milestone as significant as 50,000 charging devices.
“It’s great to see statistics like this from Zapmap, not least because they highlight all the hard work that’s going into establishing a robust public charging network across the country.
“MFG are rolling out chargers at a significant pace, having recently hit our own milestone of 500 ultra-rapid chargers – and are already well on the way to delivering the next 500.
“As a network that brings fast, clean energy to electric car drivers across the country, we’re proud to partner with Zapmap and make paying for charging that much easier with Zapmap’s payment solution.”
James Court, CEO at EVA England, encouraged less red tape in the future:
“50,000 is a significant landmark, and shows the undeniable growth of charging infrastructure in the UK.
“Lack of charging, both real and perceived, is the biggest issue holding back electric vehicles, and hopefully we will see the blockers in planning and grid removed so that 50K milestones happen more frequently in the future."
As the UK continues to mark these significant milestones, the streamlined and accelerated installation of charging points nationwide underpins a firm commitment to a sustainable, eco-friendly future, propelling further adoption of EVs across the country.
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