UK passes 120,000 EV charger milestone

Zapmap data reveals there are now 1,000 Rapid charging hubs

The UK’s electric vehicle charging network has surpassed 120,000 EV chargers, reveals Zapmap.

Zapmap data on the growth of the public charging infrastructure shows that 1,308 net new EV chargers were recorded throughout April across on-street, destination and en-route locations, bringing the total to 120,388 EV chargers  in the UK. This represents an 11% year-on-year increase compared to April 2025, when 108,819 EV chargers were recorded.

Marking another milestone, statistics from Zapmap released also show that the number of charging hubs, defined as eight or more Rapid or Ultra-rapid EV chargers in one location, has surpassed 1,000 for the first time. Typically located on or near the strategic road network for convenient en-route charging, the Zapmap driver satisfaction survey consistently reports that this form of charging is what EV drivers most want and need. 

Ultra-rapid chargers, powered at 150kW and above, continue to show the highest rate of growth at 40% year-on-year. There are now 13,346 of these chargers designed to charge a typical battery from 20-80% in 20-30 minutes. 

The latest statistics on the growth of the public charging infrastructure follow an announcement from the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) on Tuesday showing that there are now over two million battery electric vehicles registered in the UK. 

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and chief operating officer at Zapmap, said: “The availability of a network of 120,000 public chargers across on-street, destination and en-route locations is not just a significant milestone for the UK EV market but also a great result for EV drivers. We’re seeing increasing numbers of drivers making the switch to electric, and an extensive network of public charging options, both in high visibility hubs and in convenient destinations where people will be stopping anyway, helps drive confidence.

“Zapmap’s focus as the infrastructure continues to grow is to ensure that EV drivers have access to the most comprehensive and accurate information so they can find and pay for public charging with confidence.”

Vicky Read, chief executive at ChargeUK said: “Two million EVs and 120,000 chargers. The electric transition is well down the road and as petrol prices remain high it's time for government to hit the accelerator. The charging sector has been busy rolling out the infrastructure needed, but we are facing the headwinds of rising costs and investment uncertainty. Sticking to EV sales quotas and fixing the policy issues pushing up public charging prices would be a win for the cost of living, climate and economic growth.”

Operated by RAW Charging, the 120,000th public EV charger is one installed at Lydford Gorge in Devon, the National Trust-managed site of a picturesque waterfall and walking trail through ancient oak woodland. The site has a 22kW Standard Plus charger ideal for the long dwell times typical of visitors to wildlife parks and other destination sites, enabling EV drivers to recharge over the length of a visit of several hours without having to move their car during a stay. It also includes a 50kW Rapid charger for those in more of a hurry.

Neil Broadbankm, chief commercial officer at RAW Charging, said: “Surpassing 120,000 public EV chargers is a remarkable milestone for the UK and a clear signal that the nation's charging infrastructure is maturing at pace. We're delighted that one of RAW's chargers at National Trust's Lydford Gorge is the 120,000th installation. At RAW, we remain focused on deploying high-quality charging at locations that matter most to drivers and with recent UK-wide rollouts announced, we're proud to play our part in accelerating the UK's transition to electric mobility.”

Zapmap is a source of EV charging data and insights, providing UK government's Department for Transport with the data that underpins the official public charging statistics.