UK public EV charging network grew 45% year on year

The UK had 53,906 public electric vehicle charging stations across 31,056 locations as of December 2023, a 45% increase since December 2022, according to figures published by Green Home Systems, a Scottish installer, in March 2024¹. The same page states that there were then almost 1 million electric vehicles on British roads¹.

The figures describe the position at the end of 2023 and have since been superseded. Zapmap, which publishes charge point data, reported that by the end of June 2025 the network comprised 82,369 devices (110,486 connectors) at 40,479 locations, after 8,670 new charge points were installed in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 27%². Uswitch, an energy comparison service, states that at the end of 2025 there were 116,052 public charge points, an increase of 13% on the previous year³. The three sets of figures are not directly comparable: they are dated differently and Zapmap counts devices rather than stations.

Zapmap's breakdown by power rating shows where growth has been fastest. Ultra-rapid devices rated at 150kW and above rose 59.14% year on year to 8,619, and for the first time outnumbered rapid devices². Charging hubs, defined as six or more rapid or ultra-rapid devices at one location, grew 74.35% year on year to 673². Low-powered devices rated below 50kW, at 65,671, still made up just under 80% of the total².

Source: Zapmap database, 30 June 2025²

On-street charging, aimed at drivers without off-street parking, reached 29,227 devices after 3,709 additions in the first half of 2025. Of these, 20,490 were in Greater London, but growth elsewhere was faster: London rose under 11% in the six months while the rest of the UK rose more than 25%, from 7,106 to 8,737². Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, said:

"Meanwhile, we're now beginning to see LEVI funding awards feeding through the system, offering the 40% of people who do not have access to off-street parking increased opportunities to charge close to home and benefit from driving electric."

Why it matters for households

For a household without a driveway, the public network is the only practical way to run an electric car, so the count of on-street devices matters more than the headline total. The government survey cited by Uswitch found that 90% of electric car charging is done at home³, which leaves drivers who cannot park off-street dependent on whatever is installed within walking distance. Zapmap's own commentary puts that group at 40% of drivers².

The cost difference between charging at home and in public is a live issue. Uswitch cites a Pod Point calculation that a Nissan Leaf would cost just over £15 to fully charge at home at an electricity rate of 24.5p/kWh³. ChargeUK's chief executive Vicky Read raised VAT on public charging in response to the Zapmap figures, alongside standing charges and the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation². Uswitch also reports that fully electric cars worth under £40,000 were exempt from vehicle excise duty, a position it says changed on 1 April 2025³.

What happens next

Zapmap reports 80 Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding projects underway, 19 of them open to tender, with awards including £5.3 million to Suffolk County Council for around 6,000 charge points and partnerships in Brighton and Hove and Barnet². ChargeUK states the sector remains on track for the government's ambition of 300,000 chargers by 2030². Uswitch reports a £300 million investment in UK public charging points³. No date has been reported for reaching the 300,000 figure beyond the 2030 target.

Sources3 cited

1. EV Chargers: Busting the Myths & EV Charging Tips - Green Home Systems, greenhomesystems.co.uk
2. Zapmap Statistics for H1 2025 vF.docx, zap-map.com
3. How much do electric cars add to my energy bill? - Uswitch, uswitch.com