Charging points are on the rise
ZapMap shows how the UK is getting behind electric as more plug-in facilities spring up
It feels like every week there’s another push to get us to go electric – whether that’s in cars or on bikes. But as demonstrated by Ewan and Charley in their South American odyssey, Long Way Up, the ease of your electric journey is dictated by how many charge points there are. Which begs the question, how much coverage do we have in the UK right now?
According to ZapMap, the UK’s leading charge point locator app, there are now just under 30,000 public charging points available in the nation, with the majority of them being fast, rapid and ultra-rapid. This means the number of charge points has increased by 335% from 2016, when there were just over 6000 in all.
These charge points are at 18,551 different locations all over the UK. Admittedly, the highest concentration is in London, but with nearly 1000 being added to ZapMap in the last 30 days, it won’t be long before coverage becomes much more widespread.
Although the exponential growth of the network is positive news, we all know that charging an electric vehicle takes longer than filling a tank with petrol, so you have to ask whether the network is big enough to keep up with demand. On a positive note, however, the ZapMap stats show that rapid chargers are being rolled out the most quickly, with CCS chargers (a DC charger which charges most rapidly) currently being the most frequently installed with the similarly rapid CHAdeMO system not far behind – note that not all bikes will work with all chargers, so do your homework.
With the rapidly growing rapid charger network, not to mention advances in charge technology, it’ll only get easier to plan a longer route.
For maps, route planners and more useful information, check out www.zapmap.com.