The latest data from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has revealed that the UK has over 79,000 publicly available EV chargepoints installed as of 1 May 2025.
This figure represents a 30% year-on-year increase in the number of public chargepoints in operation across the UK, with a total of 18,270 new EV chargepoints installed since May 2024. Of the 79,326 currently operational chargers, 15,856 (19.98%) are 50kW or above, and the number of publicly available EV chargers of over 50kW has risen by 33% year on year, with the addition of 3,974 new high-capacity chargers since May 2024.
The news comes as a welcome story to the increasing number of EV drivers in the UK. Statistics from New Automotive recently revealed that in April of this year, battery EV (BEV) registrations took a 20.4% share of the market, with BEV registrations 31% higher than the same period in 2024. According to automotive industry trade group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), BEVs now account for one in 20 of all vehicles seen on British roads.
The EV chargepoint rollout across the UK has been on a steady upward trajectory in recent years, with the UK’s public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), noting that the nation is on track to meet its 2030 target of 300,000 publicly installed chargers by 2030.
However, it has been noted that there are significant regional disparities in the locations of public chargepoints, with a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) stating that 43% of public chargepoints are currently located in London and the South East of England. Additionally, PAC’s report has uncovered that only 80 of the UK’s 114 motorway service stations currently host at least six ultra-rapid EV chargers, despite the Department for Transport setting a target for all service stations to meet this standard by 2023.
In response to the growing demand for EV chargepoints outside the capital, a number of local authorities have sought partnerships to expand EV chargepoint provision, most of which are being funded through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, a funding pool designed to help local authorities deliver EV charging to residents without access to off-street parking.
Chargepoint operator (CPO) Believ recently announced that it will deliver 6,000 new public EV chargers across Suffolk in partnership with Suffolk County Council, which has become the first English local authority to award its LEVI tender and then later sign a contract with a CPO.
Meanwhile, 13 local authorities across the Midlands, including Lincolnshire County Council, Worcestershire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, were recently awarded a combined £40.8 million in LEVI funding to support charging rollout in the region.
