As the number of EVs on UK roads continues to increase, the charging infrastructure must keep up at the same pace. Otherwise we will see a larger number of EVs per charging station.
Not everyone has access to a home charging unit and if you are travelling frequently for work, it’s important you have access to public charging points at regular intervals.
In this guide, we look at how the infrastructure is becoming more sophisticated. Plus, what changes and developments EV owners can expect to see up and down the country.
You Will See More Ultra Rapid Charging Stations
At the end of 2022, there were about 37,000 electric vehicle charging points across the UK. This is up by about 28% on the previous year and shows a significant growth that you can expect to continue as we head further into 2023.
You will see a lot more of these charging stations being installed at motorway services, shopping centres and supermarkets right across the country. You are likely to see more 100kW+ chargers appearing as people look to charge their EV for half an hour as they stop on a journey before hitting the road again.
On Street Charging
This area will also see significant growth as more and more residential streets have chargers installed. Local authorities and councils are becoming increasingly aware of how important it is that there are enough EV chargers on streets for people to top up.
They offer drivers an alternative to charging at home and with the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, councils are much more likely to try and boost the number of local EV hubs.
Free Charging Points Are Being Phased Out
This was always a great initiative to encourage people to purchase used electric vehicles or new models. It was never going to be sustainable in the long term.
Out of the 37,000 charging stations at the end of 2022, only about 10% of them were free. This was a 10% decrease compared to February 2021. This is partly due to the public charging points needing investment from the private sector who are less likely to do this when competing against such low cost options.
You’ll See More Community Charging
This is a great addition that has come out of more people owning EVs, the use of sharing someone’s home charger. You can actually download apps such as Co Charger which allow you to find a home with a charging station that will let you use it for a price.
On the other hand, if you own an EV charging unit at your home and want to allow people to charge, you can rent your charger through the app. You can book regular bookings or a one off charge. Additionally, you can use the map on the app to find the nearest ones to your current location.
Sharing your charger is still quite new and not many people know about it. It’s certainly worth bearing in mind when you’re next out on the road.
Technology Is Advancing
You will without a doubt see an increase in the EV industry through technology. Whether that’s the chargers themselves, apps or batteries, there is so much technology involved in all of it.
Where customers are most likely to see this in 2023 is on residential streets. This could be in the form of more smart lamppost chargers being installed, cable guides under pavements or mobile charging services.
These are all designed to make life a lot easier for people who don’t have a driveway and have to park on the street but still want to own an EV. At the moment it’s still very difficult to do that because of the lack of charging ports on streets.
