The UK has surpassed the 85,000 charge point milestone in a new landmark for the public charging network.

Newly published Zapmap figures reveal there were 85,163 electric vehicle charging points across the UK as of the end of August. These are spread across 42,970 charging locations, 113,998 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and 120,379 connectors.

Last month, 1,234 net new charging devices were added to the Zapmap database. This includes 212 new rapid / ultra-rapid devices.

The figures also show that August was a particularly strong month for on-street chargers, with 899 net new devices. On-street chargers enable people to charge near home, at a slower rate and typically at a lower price, and are seen as crucial for helping drivers without off-street parking shift to EVs.

Jade Edwards, head of insights at Zapmap, said: “After a long stretch of attention on hubs and ultra-rapid charging, we’re seeing near-home charging coming into focus. This month, we saw both Ubitricity and Char.gy deliver large-scale on-street projects at speed as well as six new LEVI tenders going live. These projects deliver charging infrastructure at scale, help to address regional imbalances, and form an important part of the overall charging landscape.”

Zapmap also spotlighted that charge point utilisation peaked over the summer holidays, with 126,854 sessions on Friday 15 August; approx 27% higher than the daily average over the past three months.

Jade Edwards added: “New charging hubs from Fuuse at Strawberry Fields Farm Shop on the Devon / Cornwall border, Raw Charging in Forest Hill and Osprey near Glasgow airport expand the options for EV drivers needing to charge en route.”

Notably, in the year to date, Wales has shown the highest regional growth across all power bands, at nearly 22%.

The new figures take account of a change in reporting. This month, to align with DfT official statistics provided by Zapmap, charge points in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man have been excluded from the total device count; the ‘last month’ figure still reflects the net number of additional devices added to Zapmap across the rest of the UK during the month of August.

Vicky Read, CEO of charging firm association, Charge UK, said surpassing 85,000 public charge points was an incredible achievement for an industry that’s barely a decade old.

“This new milestone is further proof that the sector is doing its part for the transition. With a commitment to invest £6bn through to 2030, ChargeUK members are rolling out infrastructure ahead of demand.

“But to ensure this momentum continues, the industry needs continued support from policymakers so that we have the best possible conditions for charging investment and for drivers. That means helping drivers to access EVs, addressing the rise in standing charges for charging operators, and extending the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to include EV charging.”