There are now more EV charging stations than fuel stations in the UK, with almost 1,000 more public places to charge cars compared to forecourts.

Nissan analysis shows the UK has 9,300 EV charging locations compared to 8,400 fuel stations

Analysis by Nissan shows that there are around 9,300 EV charging locations as of August 2019 according to Zap-Map compared to some 8,400 fuel stations according to the Energy Institute.

The crossover happened more than a year before Nissan’s 2016 prediction of August 2020 – a result of the accelerating adoption of EVs (electric vehicles) amongst UK motorists.

The figures also show that the number of forecourts is already on the decline in less than a century since Britain’s first fuel station opened in November 1919 at Aldermaston in Berkshire. Almost 80% of UK petrol stations have closed since 1970.

In contrast, according to Zap-Map, two new rapid charge devices came online every day in the last month and there are now more than 1,600 units nationally. And all UK motorway service stations have charging stations installed, the majority of which provide a rapid charge option.

Kalyana Sivagnanam, managing director, Nissan Motor (GB), said: “The next challenge is for charging infrastructure to keep pace with the number of EVs on the road, and that the experience of recharging is as enjoyable and effortless as that of all-electric driving.”

Research from Close Brothers Motor Finance also shows fast-rising interest in EVs. According to the new Britain Under the Bonnet report, two in five drivers are considering an electric vehicle (EVs) as their next car while one in five (20%) dealers saw an uplift in the number of customers interested in alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and EVs in the last year.

Close Brothers also highlighted signs that concerns about cost, range and charging time are beginning to subside in its latest research. Almost half as many drivers were concerned about the initial outlay of an electric vehicle (24% in 2019, compared with 47% the year before), and half as many were worried about the time it takes to charge them (17% in 2019, down from 36%). Similarly, the proportion of drivers concerned about driving range had fallen from 43% last year to 24% now.

Meanwhile Transport Scotland has reported that ChargePlace Scotland now has over 1,000 publicly available electric vehicle charge points; marking a milestone moment in the continued development of one of the most comprehensive electric vehicle charging networks in Europe.

Transport Scotland added that the average distance between any given location to the nearest public charging point is just 2.78 miles in Scotland – compared to 3.77 miles in England.