Nine in 10 rapid EV charge points built outside London

Ninety per cent of rapid electric vehicle charging growth in the last two years has been outside of London, with the East of England, North West and North East seeing the fastest rollout – according to analysis of official government data by EV charging industry association ChargeUK.

Over nine in 10 rapid and ultra rapid (over 50kW) charge points were installed in the UK outside of the capital in the period from April 2024 to April 2026, running counter to the narrative that charging infrastructure is focused on London and the South-East. Including standard charge points, the figure is 73 per cent. 

In the 24 months to the end of April 2026, 7,598 rapid and ultra rapid EV charge points were added to the public network, 7,044 of them (or 93 per cent) in areas outside of London. 

These high-powered charge points, capable of adding 100s of miles of charge to an EV in minutes, are critical in providing drivers the confidence to take long journeys, wherever they live.

The region showing the biggest growth in rapid charging was the East of England, which almost doubled its number of high-powered charge points adding 1,029 in the region – an increase of 95 per cent. The North also surged, with the North West adding 962 (83 per cent) and the North East 312 (74 per cent). 

Including standard charge points, for use when EVs are parked in the same location for a longer period of time, the growth over the two-year period was 32,471 with 23,639 outside London. At the end of April 2026 there were 92,141 charge points (or charging devices) in total and 120,388 EV chargers (there can be multiple EV chargers per charge point).

The new analysis arrives in the wake of renewed discussion about the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate — the government’s key EV policy setting automakers’ EV sales quotas. 

The Climate Change Committee recently stated ‘roll-out is on track to reach 300,000 public charge points by 2030’ and emphasised the need for the government to ‘stand firm’ on the mandate, as the key enabler of charging investment. Echoing a recent LCP Delta report commissioned by ChargeUK which showed a stable ZEV Mandate is instrumental in delivering £15.5 billion in economic value from the charging sector by 2035, with a huge £385 billion opportunity in wider electrification of transport. 

Vicky Read, Chief Executive, ChargeUK said: 

“Not only is charging infrastructure running ahead of EV adoption, these new figures show that is delivering local renewal across the country. The fastest growth in rapid charging is now in the regions and nations furthest from the capital, showing the sector is committed to building a network that closes the gap between places rather than widening it. That is investment only made possible by the sales quotas in the ZEV Mandate, providing the promise of future EV drivers in every postcode. 

“The last piece of the puzzle is the price of public EV charging. As the government conducts its review into the costs which go into the infrastructure, it has an opportunity to make widespread, quality EV charging affordable for millions more drivers across the country.” 

All figures stated below are charge points or charging devices:

Table courtesy of ChargeUK.

Image courtesy of Green Car Guide.