Zapmap has published its latest EV charging statistics, revealing a massive boom in the UK’s public charging rollout alongside record-breaking savings on electric vehicle running costs.

The new Q3 2026 statistics show the UK now has 124,738 public EV chargers at 48,298 locations, up 9% year-on-year.

Ultra-rapid charging and charging hubs continue to race ahead as EV drivers demand faster top-ups for longer journeys across the strategic road network.

En-route locations, designed for drivers looking to recharge their vehicle as quickly as possible on longer journeys, recorded the highest annual increase at 23.1%, growing to 14,053 EV chargers.

The number of charging hubs across the country – defined as eight or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at a single location – now stands at 1,070, with 144 of them being added to the Zapmap database through 2026 to date.

In parallel, the highest power-band growth continues to be seen in ultra-rapid chargers delivering charging speeds of 150kW and above, which have seen 39.1% year-on-year growth. There are now 15,335 EV chargers in this power band.

Contrasting with this, rapid chargers continue to see the lowest growth rate of all power bands with no overall growth year-on-year in September, as devices are upgraded to higher power ratings with the potential to deliver a faster charging experience for EV drivers.

Destination charging, where people charge when stopped, rather than stopping to charge, now spans 64,289 EV chargers, rising 4.26% year-on-year. Whilst <50KW chargers form the majority here, there is a trend towards installing more high-powered chargers for drivers on a short time limit, further supporting the strong growth in ultra-rapid charging provision.

The data also shows notable growth in on-street charging, which is designed for overnight or full-day use and aimed at drivers who wish to charge close to home but do not have off-street parking. The UK now has 41,374 on-street chargers, representing a year-on-year growth of 13.4%.

This use case is also set to surge further as EV adoption expands into the c.40% of UK households without off-street parking. The rollout of Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) contract awards is also a continued focus. The majority of local authorities and combined authorities have now received allocations from the Government’s LEVI fund, although many are still at the tender, commercial contract and planning phases.

EV running cost advantage hits record high – even for drivers without driveways

Zapmap’s new pricing data shows the financial advantage of driving an electric vehicle has hit a record high.

The running cost differential between EVs and petrol or diesel vehicles has widened to its largest gap since tracking began.

As a result, a typical EV driver who completes 20% of their charging on the public network can now expect to save £1,130 a year in fuel costs.

Crucially, the data reveals that for the first time, even motorists without driveways who are entirely reliant on public infrastructure will often find themselves financially better off than those driving a comparable petrol or diesel car.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and chief operating officer at Zapmap, said: “With new EV registrations hitting a record of nearly 100,000 in September, continued growth of reliable and plentiful public charging infrastructure is essential, so it’s good to see the Government turning attention to grid resilience and speedier grid connections last week through the creation of Great British Grid. Action taken in parallel to address charging costs across all use-cases would help to ensure continued momentum in the transition to clean mobility.”

Commenting on the findings, Shane Brennan, CEO of Charge UK, said: “As we see record numbers of drivers make the switch to electric, the significant year-on-year growth in high powered chargers and EV hubs shows that the charging industry is getting on with the job of installing the high-quality infrastructure they need.

“The industry is also underway with rollout of the many thousands of on-street chargers which are now contracted with local authorities all around the country. The comparative slowness, combined with the cost disparity between home and public charging, risks exacerbating the ‘driveway divide’ between those who can charge at home and those who cannot.”

He added: “The fact that all EV drivers can now save compared to the skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices should be celebrated. Government must hold their nerve and stand firm on EV sales quotas and addressing the policies that are pushing up public charging prices.”