New figures show that the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network grew by 23% in the last year, with the installation nearly 16,000 more chargers in the 12 months since October 2024 – equivalent to a new charger being installed every 33 minutes.
There are now more than 86,021 public chargers (including 16,356 rapid chargers)now available across the country and government discounts are slashing up to £3750 off new electric vehicles, two factors that have no doubt contributed to an uptick in EV sales of 29% in September.
Government is backing the sector with more than £381m to deliver 100,000 more chargers and boost British industry, powering up growth and creating jobs to deliver the Plan for Change
The rapid growth – particularly in Yorkshire and the Humber, Wales, the West Midlands and East of England – means drivers can travel to popular destinations such as York Minster, Caerphilly Castle and Norwich Cathedral, knowing they can stop off and charge up easily along the way.
Between October 2024 and October 2025, the number of public EV charging devices in England outside of London grew by 23.4%, compared to 21.7% in London.
There are currently over 6,000 (July 2025, Zapmap) open-access rapid and ultra-rapid chargers within one mile of the Strategic Road Network (England’s motorways and major A-roads). This means total charger numbers have more than quadrupled in the last three years, supporting EV drivers to take longer journeys.
The data comes just days after the Government announced it will consult to cut red tape and make it easier for renters and residents without driveways to install home chargers. Plans could see drivers save £250 on planning fees and enable more households to run their car for as little as 2p per mile – that’s £2.50 from London to Birmingham.
The increase is complemented by the £25m scheme to help councils install cross-pavement channels for people without driveways, and the £381m rollout of 100,000 more public chargepoints across England.
“The EV charging industry is pulling out all the stops to help drivers go electric, investing billions of private capital into high-quality charging — supporting the government’s ambitions for growth and decarbonisation in the process,” says Vicky Read, chief executive of ChargeUK. “The vast majority of EV drivers use the public networks and an increasing number will be wholly reliant on them. Meaning we need the right mix of affordable and easy to access charging at home and at work, on-street, en-route and at destinations to ensure everyone can make the switch.”
