UK has more than 1.3 million EVs, 338k sold new this year

Is the charging network up to meet the demand?

Photo by: BT Group

By: Angel Sergeev

Dec 12, 2024 at 3:21am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

With over 1.3 million electric vehicles (EVs) zipping around the United Kingdom, EVs now account for a solid 3.94 per cent of all vehicles, a jump from a mere 0.6 per cent in 2020. According to a recent report by ZapMap and data from the SMMT, 338,314 new electric cars have been sold so far in 2024. That’s an 18.7 per cent market share of all new car registrations – double the slice of the pie EVs held in 2022, when just 6.6 per cent of new cars were electric. From 267,203 units in 2022 to 314,684 in 2023, and now another surge this year.

Of course, EV owners have more to smile about than just fewer trips to the petrol pump. ZapMap’s seventh annual survey revealed that 87 per cent of EV drivers wouldn’t dream of going back to petrol or diesel cars. That’s the kind of loyalty usually reserved for your favourite pizza joint.

But while EVs score an impressive 78 per cent satisfaction rate for cost-effectiveness and a respectable 73 per cent for their planet-friendly creds, the public charging network is still in the slow lane. Owners rated it just 64 per cent satisfactory, though 61 per cent agree it’s getting better.

What do you think?

View

Comments

The UK is trying to keep up with the demand, with a whopping 72,594 public charging points spread across 36,316 locations. That’s nearly double the number of points since 2020, and a 37 per cent increase from last year alone. But when over half of drivers still rely on public charging, and only 79 per cent have their own charge point at home, there’s clearly room for improvement.

The real kicker in the survey? Fewer than 3 per cent of EV owners surveyed by ZapMap said they’d ever go back to petrol or diesel. That’s a big thumbs down for old-school engines and a strong sign that the future is electric.

Source: RAC