Zapmap has confirmed the UK has passed 10,000 rapid & ultra-rapid EV charging points.

The 10,000th charge point was a rapid device installed at Sedbergh Leisure Centre in Bradford.

The new figures show that there are now over 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid charging devices installed across 5,000 UK charging locations. These form the higher-powered end of the country’s public charging network.

Furthermore, Zapmap’s latest statistics indicate that the overall rate of charge point installation is also accelerating. In November 2022, the overall growth of the UK’s public network stood at 34% year on year. A year later, however, that figure has risen to 45% overall, as of November 2023.

The 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid milestone reflects encouraging growth in a critical area of the country’s public network: en-route charging infrastructure designed for drivers looking to recharge their vehicle as quickly as possible on longer journeys.

Indeed, the power rating of the charge points being installed is increasing, with devices of 100kW or more becoming increasingly prevalent.

At the end of 2020, the 788 devices in the UK of 100kW or more accounted for 20% of the country’s high-powered chargers. Now, in early December 2023, there are 4,504 devices of 100kW or over, comprising a significant 45% of high-powered devices across the country.

The timing of the milestone also illustrates an acceleration in the rate of high-power charge point installation over recent years.

In January 2021, for instance, the UK hit 4,000 high-powered devices, followed by the 6,000 mark in June 2022. Less than a year later, in May 2023, the UK surpassed 8,000 high-power devices.

With the country’s 10,000th rapid or ultra-rapid device now up and running, the milestone is indicative of real change for EV drivers embarking on longer journeys across the UK.

In addition, these high-powered devices are increasingly being seen in charging hubs, which Zapmap defines as groups of six or more rapid or ultra-rapid devices. A year ago, at the end of November, there were 99 open-access charging hubs, while at the end of November 2023 this more than doubled to 239.