Top 20 UK hotspots for rapid charging revealed
Nottingham is home to the most rapid and ultra-rapid chargers in the UK, making it a hotspot for charging your electric car as quickly as possible.
The number of rapid and ultra-rapid charger devices has increased by more than 490% since the end of 2016
New research on the UK’s top 20 cities for rapid and ultra-rapid EV charging has found that the Midlands leads the way, with Nottingham in pole position, followed by Milton Keynes, Leeds, Birmingham and Coventry.
Nottingham’s 122 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers as of the end of April 2022 put it comfortably in the lead, compared to Milton Keynes’ 106.
But the analysis by Zap-Map and Admiral Insurance also shows that the number of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers continues to soar nationwide – increasing to more than 5,750 devices by the end of April 2022, which is over a 490% increase on the 973 rapid and ultra-rapid devices at the end of 2016.
The number of ultra-rapid devices has particularly rocketed over the past year. Between April 2021 and April 2022, they was up 74%. And Birmingham leads the way in the UK here, with 39 high-powered ultra-rapid chargers.
The EV charging map has been published as Admiral’s 2021/22 insurance data demonstrates the growing popularity of electric vehicles, with drivers insuring 79% more pure-electric vehicles (and 20% more hybrid vehicles) in 2022 compared with 2021.
Commenting on the data, Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO at Zap-Map, said: “As the number of pure-electric cars on the road approaches half a million, a robust charging network is critical. Over the past few years there has been huge investment in high-powered chargers and it’s great to see many cities across the UK having a strong provision.
“There are of course a range of different needs when it comes to charging an EV, but continued investment in high-powered chargers for longer journeys is crucial as the number of EVs on the road continues to grow at pace. Nottingham may well be leading the charge in this area right now, but it will certainly be interesting to see which city takes the top spot in two years’ time.”
| Device count | |||
| Town | Rapid | Ultra-rapid | Grand Total |
| Nottingham | 92 | 30 | 122 |
| Milton Keynes | 100 | 6 | 106 |
| Leeds | 60 | 17 | 77 |
| Birmingham | 34 | 39 | 73 |
| Coventry | 71 | – | 71 |
| Bristol | 45 | 23 | 68 |
| Manchester | 36 | 26 | 62 |
| Sheffield | 48 | 9 | 57 |
| Glasgow | 46 | 6 | 52 |
| Wolverhampton | 26 | 23 | 49 |
| Norwich | 20 | 28 | 48 |
| Dundee | 36 | 8 | 44 |
| Bradford | 39 | – | 39 |
| Exeter | 10 | 27 | 37 |
| Derby | 20 | 14 | 34 |
| Slough | 7 | 29 | 36 |
| Cardiff | 24 | 10 | 34 |
| Banbury | 5 | 29 | 34 |
| Preston | 31 | 2 | 33 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 31 | 2 | 33 |
Data: Zap-Map/Admiral
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day. Natalie edits all the Fleet World websites and newsletters, and loves to hear about any latest industry news - or gossip.
