UK has more electric car charging sites than fuel stations

The number of public electric vehicle (EV) charging sites in the UK now outnumbers the number of fuel stations for the first time.

As of 22 May 2019, there were 8,471 public EV charging stations across the UK with a total of 13,613 chargers, according to figures from Zap-Map, while data from the Experian Catalist Market Summary Report shows there were 8,400 fuel stations at the end of April.

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Zap-Map says the number of public EV charging sites has increased by 57 per cent in the last 12 months. This has supported a growth in the number of EVs on the road from 3,500 six years ago to 210,000 now.

By the end of 2022, it’s expected that there will be at least one million EVs in the UK, with the UK Government planning to ban the sale of new, conventional petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

Not only is the number of public EV chargers in the UK on the rise, but so is the rate of charge offered at them. At present, a rapid charger can be expected to offer a 50kW charging rate, which can fully recharge a standard EV in around 40 minutes.

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The rollout of the next generation of public EV chargers has already started in the UK, though, offering charging rates of up to 350kW that will allow the electric cars of the future to fully recharge in as little as 10 minutes.

The range of EVs is another factor than can be expected to improve drastically in the future, with a battery that can power a car for up to 600 miles currently being developed in Germany.

Ben Lane, Zap-Map’s co-founder and chief technology officer, said the fact EV charging sites now outnumber fuel stations in the UK “reveals the rapid pace of change already underway as the age of the combustion engine gives way to an all-electric era”.

Do you think the UK's charging network is keeping up with demand? Let us know your thoughts below...