Electric car drivers in the UK now make more than two million successful public charges each month.
The insight comes from Zap-Map, which provides mapping, charger location and payment services to EV drivers.
With Zap-Map now covering more than 95 percent of the UK’s public charging network, the company can provide valuable insight into how frequently it is being used.
Being connected to 76,000 charging devices across Britain means Zap-Map can see how often each charger is plugged in, and for how long.
Rapid charging speeds increase
What Zap-Map’s utilisation data reveals is that drivers are making more use of rapid or ultra-rapid charging devices.
Capable of delivering charging speeds from 50kW upwards, rapid chargers can typically add a substantial amount of range to an electric car in just 30 minutes. Now, some 60 percent of all charging sessions use these devices.
Last year saw an 84 percent increase in the number of ultra-rapid (150kW+) chargers installed across the UK, with more than 7,000 now available.
Zap-Map’s data also shows the busiest day for the public charging network in 2024 was the 23rd of December, when there were 104,215 charging events. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the quietest day was the 25th of December, with 33,250 charges.
Zeroing in on demand
By analysing and sharing such data, Zap-Map can do more than just identify peak demand for charging.
The company is working with charge point operators (CPOs) to enable them to identify the busiest sites, and encourage them to consider adding extra chargers – either at that location, or nearby.
As a result, EV drivers should have to queue for less time to use a charger, even during peak travel periods.
Jade Edwards, head of insights at Zap-Map, commented: “As increasing numbers of drivers transition to electric vehicles and more investment is made into the charging infrastructure, tracking utilisation to fully understand usage patterns will not only ensure that CPOs optimise the customer experience, but also enable them to progress towards profitable businesses.”
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