As of the end of 2023, the government's ambition to install six or more rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargers at every motorway service area in England has not been realized, according

to research by the RAC. The study, based on a review of 119 motorway services on Zapmap, revealed that only 46 of them have met the target number of chargers above 50kW. This deficiency is significant given the rising number of battery-electric vehicles in the UK, which was expected to surpass one million by the end of 2023.

The research indicates a positive development in the growth of rapid chargers, increasing from 27 (23 percent) at the end of April. Since then, an additional 178 high-powered chargers have been installed at motorway services. Currently, over 400 ultra-rapid chargers are available, covering 55 percent of services and providing some of the fastest charging speeds for drivers. However, 18 service areas lack rapid charging above 50kW, and four of them have no publicly accessible charging facilities at all, including Leicester Forest on both sides of the M1, Tebay South on the M6, and Barton Park on the A1(M).

The RAC's findings also highlight the positive trend of increasing Combined Charging System (CCS) connectors, reaching 693 at 101 services, indicating a 48 percent increase. CHAdeMO connectors, predominantly used by Nissan and Renault electric cars, have also risen to 282, marking a 32 percent increase since April. Additionally, 70 percent of all high-power motorway charging is now categorized as ultra-rapid, reducing the time drivers spend charging.

The research reveals that 14 services in England now have over 12 high-powered chargers, up from six in the spring. The Moto-run services at Exeter on the M5 boast the highest number of high-powered chargers, with 24 devices. On average, there are now five high-powered chargers at all 119 service areas in England, up from 3.4 at the end of April.

The government's target, outlined in its 'Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy' published in March 2022, aimed to have at least six rapid chargers above 50kW at every motorway service area by the end of 2023. However, it wasn't until early December 2023 that the government announced a £70 million grant for a pilot scheme involving upgrades at 10 motorway service stations.

Zapmap's charging statistics as of November 2023 show that the UK has 53,029 charging devices, with a fifth being rapid or ultra-rapid. Among these, 581 high-powered chargers are located at motorway services. The government anticipates having a minimum of around 300,000 public chargers of all speeds by 2030 and over 6,000 high-powered chargers along strategic roads by 2035.

Despite some progress, the RAC emphasizes that the government has fallen short of its target for high-powered chargers at motorway service areas. While acknowledging advancements since April, the RAC's spokesperson, Simon Williams, underscores the need for simplifying processes, particularly regarding high-power cabling to the grid, to further expedite the installation of these crucial charging units. Photo by Nick Birse, Wikimedia commons.