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Portsmouth, Southampton and Stockport are the areas in the UK where EV drivers will struggle the most in search of rapid charging points, according to Aston Barclay.
Aston Barclay analysed Department for Transport statistics on the number of available rapid charging devices in the UK, and compared with the total number of registered EVs. Portsmouth had just one rapid charger per 2,886 EVs, followed by Southampton (2,285 EVs) and Stockport (1,482 EVs).
Albert Parnell, group EV lead at Aston Barclay said: “The introduction of EVs has been the biggest revolution in the motoring industry in decades, and while car manufacturers and suppliers are preparing for the longer-term impact, such as the 2035 ICE ban, it is important the UK infrastructure can keep up with ownership demand.
“Depending on battery size, rapid chargers allow drivers to fully charge a vehicle in 30 minutes, compared to 6 to 8 hours for a standard charger – having more accessibility to faster charging capabilities will be the key to ensuring EV ownership continues momentum.”
As of the end of April 2024, there are 11,590 publicly available rapid charging points in the UK. There are over 941,692 registered EVs on the road which means there is just one rapid charger for every 81 EVs.
The most successful areas in the installation of charging points in the UK so far are Dumfries and Galloway, Milton Keynes and West Berkshire which all have one rapid charging point for every 12 EVs.