Electric vehicle charging device statistics: January 2022
Published 20 January 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electric-vehicle-charging-device-statistics-january-2022/electric-vehicle-charging-device-statistics-january-2022
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About this release
This release presents experimental statistics on the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, broken down by local authority for October to December 2021. Data is provided by the electric vehicle and charging point platform Zap-Map and is correct as at midnight 1 January 2022.
The timeline of this publication series coincides with the introduction of coronavirus (COVID-19) related restrictions. As such, figures in this release may be affected and should be interpreted with caution.
The next quarterly report is scheduled for release in April 2022.
Headline figures
As of 1 January 2022:
- there were 28,375 public electric vehicle charging devices available in the UK
- of the total devices available, 5,156 were rapid chargers
Compared to 1 October 2021:
- available devices increased by 2,448, an increase of 9%
- rapid devices increased by 233, up 5%
- there was an increase in total and rapid devices across all regions of the UK
UK growth in public charging devices
Since 1 January 2021, the number of public devices has increased by 37%, corresponding to 7,600 devices. The number of rapid devices increased by 33%, with an additional 1,276 public devices.
Table EVCD_01a and Table EVCD_01b provide a breakdown of public charging devices in each local authority in the UK whilst Table EVCD_02 shows the change in the number of devices since 2015. These tables are published alongside this report.
Chart 1: Growth in UK public charging devices since 2015 (table EVCD_02)
Chart 2: Growth in UK public rapid charging devices since 2015 (table EVCD_02)
Regional distribution of charging devices
There is an uneven geographical distribution of charging devices within the UK. Some UK local authorities have bid for UK Government funding for charging devices, and others have not. Most of the provision of this infrastructure has been market-led, with individual charging networks and other businesses (such as hotels) choosing where to install devices.
Chart 3: Public charging devices per 100,000 of population by UK country and region: 1 January 2022 (table ECVD_01a)
Chart 4: Public rapid charging devices per 100,000 of population by UK country and region: 1 January 2022 (table ECVD_01b)
Chart 3 and Map 1 show that London and Scotland had the highest level of charging provision per 100,000 of population, with 102 and 52 devices per 100,000 respectively. In comparison, the average provision in the UK was 42 per 100,000.
Northern Ireland had the lowest level of charging device provision in the UK, with 18 devices per 100,000, followed by the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber with 24 and 26 devices per 100,000 respectively.
Chart 4 and Map 2 indicate that Scotland had the highest rate of rapid device provision of 12.9 rapid devices per 100,000, whilst the average provision in the UK was 7.7 per 100,000. Rapid device provision was lowest for Northern Ireland and Wales, with 1.2 and 5.3 rapid devices per 100,000 respectively.
An interactive map of this data is available.
Maps 1 and 2 - Total and rapid public charging devices per 100,000 of population by UK region 1 January 2022
Change in public charging devices
Maps 3 and 4 – Change in public charging devices, per region, 1 January 2022 compared to 1 October 2021; percentage and number of devices
As Map 3 shows, all regions across the UK saw an increase in total charging devices between 1 October 2021 and 1 January 2022. London had the greatest increase at 16.4%, whilst Northern Ireland and the North West had the smallest increases at 3.9% and 4.6% respectively. London also had the greatest increase in absolute number of devices at 1,292 devices, contributing to more than half of the increase in devices across the UK.
Map 4 shows that rapid charging devices have increased in every region in the UK. The smallest percentage increase in the number of rapid devices was in the North East at 0.4%. East Midlands had the largest percentage increase in rapid devices at 7.5%, corresponding to an increase of 26 rapid devices.
Further detail on the change in charging device numbers between 1 October 2021 and 1 January 2022 displayed in Maps 3 and 4 can be found in Annex B.
The number of available devices can fluctuate for a range of reasons. Increases likely reflect the installation of new devices, whilst owners and operators can choose to temporarily or permanently decommission or replace devices. Charging devices can also be unavailable due to faults, maintenance or other restrictions in the area where they are located.
Background notes and limitations of data
This is a quarterly statistical release on electric vehicle charging devices. We would welcome feedback from users of the statistics.
A charging device is a unit capable of charging the batteries of plug-in electric vehicles. Devices are classified by their power output, and each device may offer one or more connecting points. The term ‘chargepoint’ is also sometimes used, including in previous statistical publications from the Department for Transport (DfT). This may refer to either a single device or a number of connectors on a device which can be used simultaneously.
Charging devices have largely been funded by private sector investment, however a number of the devices have been Government funded via a number of grant schemes operated by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). OZEV also provides grant funding for private domestic charging and workplace charging devices, which are included in the quarterly electric vehicle charging device grant scheme statistics publication. Private domestic and workplace charging devices are not included within these statistics, as they are not necessarily available to the general public.
Charging device location data is sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform Zap-Map and represents devices reported as operational at midnight, 1 January 2022. Zap-Map reports that they cover 95% of publicly accessible devices. True counts are therefore likely to be higher and we have no way of assessing whether data coverage is better in some geographical areas than others.
There are no other sources with such comprehensive coverage against which we could verify the Zap-Map devices. As of 10 January 2022, the National Chargepoint Registry (NCR) covers 19,575 devices so cannot be used to verify the Zap-Map counts. The NCR, whilst covering fewer devices, does contain more detailed information on each charging device including the exact location and number of connectors.
‘Total devices’ represent publicly available charging devices at all speeds, including:
- slow
- fast
- rapid
- ultra-rapid
‘Rapid devices’ are those whose fastest connector is rated at 25kW and above.
A device can have several connectors of varying types and speeds. Some devices can charge only 1 vehicle at once, whilst others can charge multiple simultaneously. The Zap-Map data does not indicate how many cars can be charged by a single device, therefore the statistics count the device itself. There is often more than 1 device at a location. Charging capability in any given location (the number of cars able to be charged at the same time) will be higher than the number of devices.
Population figures by local authority are sourced from the Office for National Statistics Population Mid Year Estimates for 2020. The local authority administrative geographies are from April 2021, available from the ONS Geography Portal.
Data after July to September 2019 reflects charging devices which were available at the end of each quarter. Data previous to this uses charging devices which were available at July to September 2019, but were installed in previous quarters before this. Subsequently, these figures do not include any devices installed before July to September 2019 that were decommissioned or unavailable at the time.
This quarterly statistical series complements 3 earlier releases presenting statistics on observed usage and charging patterns for electric vehicle charging devices funded under various OZEV schemes:
Experimental Statistics
These quarterly statistics are badged as Experimental Statistics. Users should be aware of the status and cautions of these series, which will vary for each statistic and will be explained within each publication. The statistics are new but still subject to testing in terms of their volatility and ability to meet customer needs. They do not meet the rigorous quality standards of National Statistics, for example with respect to partial coverage. Further details on the limitations of Experimental Statistics can be found at the Office for National Statistics.
Annex A: Public charging device by 100,000 population table
Table 1 - Total and rapid public charging devices per 100,000 of population by UK region (Maps 1 and 2)
| Region | Devices per 100,000 population | Rapids per 100,000 population |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 42 | 7.7 |
| North East | 36 | 8.6 |
| North West | 24 | 5.6 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 26 | 7.0 |
| East Midlands | 32 | 7.7 |
| West Midlands | 31 | 8.3 |
| East of England | 29 | 6.4 |
| London | 102 | 8.0 |
| South East | 39 | 8.6 |
| South West | 35 | 7.9 |
| Wales | 33 | 5.3 |
| Scotland | 52 | 12.9 |
| Northern Ireland | 18 | 1.2 |
Annex B: Regional changes table
Table 2 - Change in public charging devices, per region, 1 January 2022 compared to 1 October 2021; percentage and number of devices
| Region | Total devices change | Rapid devices change |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 9.4% (+2448) | 4.7% (+233) |
| North East | 6.4% (+59) | 0.4% (+1) |
| North West | 4.6% (+79) | 4.3% (+17) |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 7.2% (+96) | 4.9% (+18) |
| East Midlands | 9.7% (+137) | 7.5% (+26) |
| West Midlands | 7.3% (+125) | 6.0% (+28) |
| East of England | 7.3% (+122) | 6.1% (+23) |
| London | 16.4% (+1292) | 4.3% (+30) |
| South East | 6.2% (+212) | 4.5% (+34) |
| South West | 6.0% (+112) | 5.5% (+23) |
| Wales | 6.1% (+61) | 5.6% (+9) |
| Scotland | 5.2% (+140) | 3.4% (+23) |
| Northern Ireland | 3.9% (+13) | 4.8% (+1) |
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