The UK has announced a landmark achievement on the road to net zero driving, installing over 50,000 public EV chargers nationwide.
The latest data provided by Zapmap shows that the UK is now home to 52,602 public EV chargers, a 44% increase since the same time last year.
The announcement marks a significant milestone toward the UK reaching its charging infrastructure goals, aiming for 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030.
Anthony Browne, the UK’s Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, emphasised the significance of the move: “Passing 50,000 public chargepoints is a key milestone in our journey to zero emission driving and shows the incredible progress we’ve made to provide the infrastructure for drivers to go electric.
“With government and private sector investment, we are backing drivers by expanding our charging network – creating jobs and putting us well on the way to our target of 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.”
Building charging infrastructure ahead of the zero emission mandate
The zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate is on the horizon, ensuring that by 2030, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in the UK must be zero emission.
This means that the UK will need to drastically improve its EV charging infrastructure to ensure motorists can easily make the switch to electric.
The UK has already made strides in the transition, with EVs making up 16% of the car market, making it one of the leading countries in Europe and higher than the EU average of 13%.
Under the ZEV mandate, these efforts will intensify, with the 2035 end-of-sale date aligning the UK with other major global economies, including France, Germany, Sweden, and Canada.
Efforts to increase EV charging in the UK
The government aims to streamline chargepoint installations for operators by seeking cost-effective and quicker methods.
It plans to review grid connections, expanding development rights to simplify installations. The Connections action plan will revolutionise grid access, benefiting various connection customers, including EV operators.
Furthermore, the government supports local EV charging infrastructure, assessing applications for the £381m Local EV infrastructure fund to enable thousands of new chargepoints. Initiatives like On-street residential chargepoint scheme (ORCS) for local authorities and grants for workplaces and accommodations will promote EV adoption.
Recent laws ensure transparent pricing and contactless payments at public chargepoints, improving accessibility for EV drivers. Providers must share data, facilitating drivers in finding available, functioning chargepoints with desired speeds. This enhances convenience and reliability for EV users.
With an array of government-backed initiatives driving access to public EV chargers, the UK is well on the road to meeting its zero emission targets.
