The UK’s public charging network has surpassed 120,000 chargers, marking a significant landmark for the nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure.

The new data from Zapmap also reveals strong growth for ultra-rapid devices and a new milestone of more than 1,000 charging hubs.

The latest growth comes after 1,308 net new EV chargers went live throughout April across on-street, destination and en-route locations, bringing the total to 120,388 EV chargers in the UK. That’s an 11% year-on-year increase compared to April 2025, when 108,819 EV chargers were recorded.

The 120,000th public EV charger was installed by Raw Charging at Lydford Gorge in Devon. The National Trust-managed site, which has a picturesque waterfall and walking trail through ancient oak woodland, now offers a 22kW charger, enabling EV drivers to recharge over the length of a visit of several hours without having to move their car during a stay.  It also includes a 50kW rapid charger for those in more of a hurry.

The statistics also reveal that the number of charging hubs, defined as eight or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers in one location, has surpassed 1,000 for the first time. Such hubs are typically located on or near the strategic road network for convenient en-route charging, and consistently feature as the most popular and necessary form of chargers in Zapmap driver satisfaction surveys.

The new data also shows that ultra-rapid chargers, powered at 150kW and above, continue to show the highest rate of growth at 40% year-on-year. There are now 13,346 of these chargers designed to charge a typical battery from 20-80% in 20-30 minutes.

The latest Zapmap figures follow this week’s announcement from the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) that the two millionth electric car was registered in the UK in April.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO at Zapmap, said the availability of a network of 120,000 public chargers across on-street, destination and en-route locations was not just a significant milestone for the UK EV market but also a great result for drivers.

“We’re seeing increasing numbers of drivers making the switch to electric, and an extensive network of public charging options, both in high-visibility hubs and in convenient destinations where people will be stopping anyway, helps drive confidence.”

Vicky Read, CEO at charging trade association ChargeUK, lauded the latest milestones but called for government action to help address charging costs.

“The electric transition is well down the road and as petrol prices remain high it’s time for government to hit the accelerator. The charging sector has been busy rolling out the infrastructure needed, but we are facing the headwinds of rising costs and investment uncertainty.

“Sticking to EV sales quotas and fixing the policy issues pushing up public charging prices would be a win for the cost of living, climate and economic growth.”

And Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, said: “This milestone matters because, with every increase, our community of drivers clearly notices the benefit. In our latest survey, 67% said the public charging network had improved in the past year. But alongside growth in numbers, we must make sure no one is left behind. That includes drivers with disabilities, who still cannot safely access much of the network, and drivers who cannot reliably charge at home who remain too exposed to much higher public charging costs.

“The next phase must be about building a charging network that is affordable, accessible and works for every driver.”