Over 100,000 public electric vehicle (EV) charge points are available to drivers in the UK, according to Octopus Electroverse’s new Charging Infrastructure Insights report*.
UK drivers are finding it easier to charge on the road with one new public charger installed every 13 minutes in the last six months.
Rapid and ultra-rapid chargers – powerful enough to recharge EVs in as little as 20 minutes – are being rolled out the quickest and now make up nearly a quarter (24%) of all public charge points.
The landmark figure is revealed just days after the government confirmed the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030. It is targeting 300,000 public chargers to be installed in the UK by the same year.
The rapid rollout of public charges stands in stark contrast to the declining number of petrol stations, with around 8,300 available across the country today**.
Electric cars have become even more accessible to drivers over the last year, with leasing deals starting from just £200 a month through salary sacrifice. Last month saw record-breaking sales in the UK with more battery electric cars registered than ever before***.
Octopus Electroverse has expanded quickly since it launched in 2020. It is now Europe’s largest EV charging platform, supporting around half of electric car drivers in the UK and hundreds of thousands more internationally.
A charging session is started every few seconds by an Electroverse electric car driver, fleet member or partner car manufacturer.
Matt Davies, Director of Octopus Electroverse, said: “This milestone shows we are building real momentum behind electric driving in the UK. Drivers can now trust there is a charger at almost every twist and turn of the road – making plugging in an EV feel as easy as charging up your phone.
”We’re well on track to turning the government’s 300,000 target by 2030 into a reality. And with new rules raising standards on reliability and ease of use, drivers can feel more confident than ever.”
*The Octopus Electroverse Charging Infrastructure Insights is published every two months and is available on the Electroverse website. You can find the latest edition at this link.
Electroverse’s data may differ from other sources, such as Zapmap, as it aligns the European industry standard for defining a charge point: EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment). Each EVSE represents a single, independently operated outlet capable of delivering power to one EV at a time.
**Statista, April 2024
***New Automotive, ECC March 2025
Related articles:
Analysts warn of capacity concerns as EVs set to total 5% of UK power demand by 2030