The UK will install 300K EV chargers by 2030 — and it’s about time

EV registrations in the UK have been increasing at an impressive rate during the past few years, which indicates an upwards trend in electrification. However, the current EV charging network can’t keep up with the rising numbers.

To improve the country’s charging network, the government announced today a new £500 million plan to help the UK market reach 300,000 public EV chargepoints by 2030.

To put the numbers into perspective, that’s a tenfold increase on the chargers’ existing number of 28,375 — or an annual addition of 37,500 units over the next eight years.

Hopefully, the plan will address two of the most pressing issues regarding the UK’s charging network: limited charger numbers and uneven geographical distribution.

According to the SSMT, plug-in cars grew by a whopping 280.3% between 2019 and 2021, while charging stations increased by just 69.8% in the same period.

Similarly, the number of EVs on the road rose by an even more impressive 586.8%, whereas rapid and ultra rapid charger stock grew by only 82.3%.

As for geographical distribution, the agency found that, in 2021, the ratio of electric cars to standard public chargers was 1:52 in northern Britain, compared to 1:30 in the south.

If we also look at the government’s data, there are 102 public chargers per 100,000 people in London alone, but only 26 per 100,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Overall, the government’s promising a charging network that’s “robust, fair, cheap, and easy to use.” Let’s hope it sticks to its word, as the transition to EVs will play a pivotal role in the country’s 2050 net-zero ambitions.