UK electric car chargers outnumber petrol pumps by almost two-to-one
DfT data shows there are more than 116,000 public EV chargers, on top of the thousands of home wallboxes nationwide
Yes, you read that right; there are now (almost) double the number of electric car chargers in the UK than there are petrol pumps, denoting a significant milestone in the electrification of the nation’s roads.
New data released by the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that, as of January 1 this year, there were 116,052 public EV chargers in the UK. While there are no official figures to show how this compares to the number of individual fuel pumps available, estimates suggest there must be around 60,802 if you multiply the total number of petrol stations (8,329) by the average number of refuelling positions (7.3).
The figure of 116,.052 is impressive given how it effectively works out at 11 electric cars per chargepoint, when basing calculations from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ most recent UK motorparc data; this was published in June 2025, so the number of EVs per charger is likely slightly higher by now. Of course, these calculations don’t take into account the number of home chargepoints, which boosts charging capacity even further.
That said, while the number of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars per fuel pump appears astronomically large in comparison at over 570, it’s worth considering how much quicker it is to brim a fuel tank than it is to charge a battery. That means there’s less of a need for so many individual fuelling stations.
Nevertheless, with EV charging site ZapMap claiming that 677 new public chargepoints have been installed in the UK in January 2026 alone, alongside the Government having recently raised the value of its Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant from £350 to £500, the country’s network of chargers will likely continue to expand rapidly over the next few years.
CEO of electric car member association EVA England, Vicky Edmonds, said: “This milestone shows we’re genuinely moving in the right direction and building the charging network that drivers need to make the switch to electric with confidence.”
She continued: “But we shouldn’t stop here. Ensuring reliable, affordable and convenient charging where people live, work and travel is key to helping even more drivers make the transition smoothly.”
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