The UK’s public electric vehicle charging network continued to expand in early 2026, with official figures showing <b>119,080 public EV chargers</b> available across the country as of 1 April.

Of these, <b>27,372 chargers</b> offered rapid or faster charging of at least 50kW. The figures come from the Department for Transport and are based on data supplied by charge point operators and collated by Zapmap.

The statistics also show that growth has remained steady, although the type and availability of infrastructure differ significantly depending on where drivers live and how they use their cars.

<h3>More Than 3,000 Added in Three Months</h3>

During the first quarter of 2026, <b>3,028 public chargers</b> were added to the UK network. That pace was broadly similar to the same period in 2025.

Across the whole of 2025, the network gained 13,281 chargers. Industry estimates suggest much larger additions in previous years, including 24,557 in 2024 and 20,662 in 2023, although those earlier figures sit outside the official statistical series.

Since January 2026, the government has focused its reporting on individual EV chargers, or EVSE, rather than the older measure of charging devices. This change is intended to provide a more precise picture of the number of vehicles that can potentially charge at the same time.

<h3>Half the Network Uses Standard Charging</h3>

Not every public charger is designed for a quick stop.

Exactly <b>50%</b> of chargers were in the standard category, providing between 3kW and less than 8kW. A further <b>27%</b> offered between 8kW and less than 50kW.

Rapid chargers, rated from 50kW to under 150kW, represented <b>12%</b> of the network, while ultra-rapid chargers of at least 150kW accounted for another <b>11%</b>.

That means almost four out of five public chargers were below the rapid threshold. This is not necessarily a weakness: slower units are often better suited to residential streets, workplaces and destinations where vehicles remain parked for longer.

Rapid infrastructure becomes particularly important on longer journeys, where reducing charging time can make a significant difference.

<h3>London Leads, but Not in Fast Charging</h3>

The regional figures reveal one of the biggest contrasts in the UK charging network.

Across Britain there were an average of <b>171.9 chargers per 100,000 residents</b>. London was far ahead with <b>340 per 100,000</b>, nearly twice the national level.

However, London had only <b>27 rapid or faster charters per 100,000 residents</b>, the second-lowest regional figure. Much of the capital’s infrastructure consists of slower units installed on residential streets.

Scotland had 228.5 chargers per 100,000 people and led the country for rapid or faster infrastructure, at 57.2 per 100,000.

Northern Ireland remained at the other end of the scale, with just 59.4 public chargers per 100,000 residents and 18.4 rapid or faster units.

The South West, East of England and East Midlands also recorded relatively strong provision of higher-powered chargers.

<h3>Rural Access Closely Matches Population</h3>

In England and Wales, <b>17.2%</b> of public EV chargers were located in rural areas. That closely matched the 17.5% share of the population living in rural communities.

Urban locations contained the remaining 82.8% of chargers, compared with an urban population share of 82.5%.

On paper, this suggests a relatively balanced urban-rural distribution. But simple charger numbers do not capture every practical issue, such as distance between sites, reliability or the availability of faster units along major routes.

<h3>Where Drivers Actually Charge</h3>

More than half of all public chargers — <b>52%</b> — were classified as destination chargers. These are typically found at places where drivers remain for some time, such as car parks and hospitality locations.

Another <b>32%</b> were installed on residential streets.

Only <b>11%</b> were classified as en-route infrastructure designed primarily to support continuing journeys, including chargers at motorway service areas. The remaining 4% were in semi-public locations with some access restrictions.

<h3>A Growing but Uneven Network</h3>

The April figures show that Britain’s charging infrastructure is continuing to expand, but the headline total tells only part of the story.

A driver in central London may encounter many public units but relatively few fast options. Someone travelling through Scotland may find fewer chargers overall but stronger provision of rapid infrastructure relative to the population.

<b>The next stage of the transition will therefore depend not simply on installing more chargers, but on placing the right charging speeds in the locations where drivers actually need them.</b>