Range anxiety? EV charging sites now outnumber petrol stations
Fear of running out of charge on a journey in an EV may be a thing of the past, Zap-Map’s latest data shows.
Most people would consider an electric car as their next vehicle. Seven in 10, according to Auto Trader’s latest market report. But the same figure, according to Confused.com research, cite a lack of chargers as the most significant concern discouraging them from doing so.
Data we are publishing today from Zap-Map, the EV charging data specialists Good Energy recently invested in, shows that this concern is no longer grounded in reality.
As of yesterday, June 2022, there are around 20,000 charging locations across the UK, hosting a total of 32,663 charging devices. In contrast, latest figures show, there are currently only 8,400 petrol stations in the UK, a figure which is continuing to decline.
Zap-Map’s go-to app for EV charging stations shows that charging stations can now be found across the length and breadth of the country, from the Shetland Islands to the Cornish Riviera, from Giant’s Causeway to the White Cliffs of Dover.
The milestone is a significant one. Range anxiety, the fear of running out of charge before your journey is complete, is not something petrol and diesel car drivers tend to be struck with. Increasingly it should no longer trouble electric car drivers either. This is thanks to the extraordinary growth in EV chargers in the UK over the past few years.
This expanding network supports an increasing number of electric vehicles, currently sitting at over 900,000; up from just 3,500 a number of years ago. Analysts forecast that by the end of 2022, at least 1 million EVs will be in use across the UK.
Juliet Davenport, CEO and Founder of Good Energy, is keen to emphasise the importance of electrifying transport: “Tackling the climate crisis means electric vehicles need to go mainstream. This milestone shows how rapidly we are moving in that direction, away from polluting petrol and diesel cars. We still have a long way to go but the future of transport is electric.”
Ben Lane, co-founder and CTO at Zap-Map agrees: “The public and private sectors are now investing heavily in the UK’s EV charging infrastructure to ensure that there are sufficient charging points to support the growing electric fleet. This month’s milestone reveals the rapid pace of change already underway as the age of the combustion engine gives way to an all-electric era with vehicles offering both zero-emissions and a better driving experience.”
If you are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle, or if you already have one, visit Fully Charged Live at Silverstone on 7th-9thJune. Juliet will be taking part in a panel discussion on the 8th, and the Good Energy’s stand will feature a miniature track for competitive model electric car racing — free for everyone to take part.
