200 new motorway chargers added in 2024

200 additional 150kW+ electric vehicle chargers have been installed at motorway services in England since the beginning of 2024, a 51% increase over the last eight months and a new record for installation numbers, according to new analysis* carried out by Zapmap and the RAC.

This means almost half (48% – 55 sites) of the 114 motorway services in England now have six or more of these 150kW+ chargers, with many of these sites providing chargers that offer the very fastest speeds of up to 350kW.

As a result the UK’s estimated 1.17m EV drivers can now charge up in a matter of minutes using 595 of these chargers. In 2022, the previous government set an ambition of having six or more high powered 50kW+ chargers at every motorway services areas in England by the end of 2023.

What’s more, there are now six well-located motorway services that have more than 12 150kW+ devices. These are Reading M4 east and westbound, Cobham M25, Exeter M5, Gloucester M5 northbound and Frankley M5 southbound. As for the services that have the most 150kW+ chargers, Frankley on the M5 southbound has an impressive 28 with Reading on the M4 westbound having 25. While many locations also have additional Tesla chargers, Tesla is now allowing drivers of any make of EV to use their chargers at four of them.

Looking at high-powered charging over 50kW across England as a whole, each motorway services has an average of seven chargers (meaning there is a total of 818 at 114 sites). Just taking ultra-rapid chargers, there is an average of five at every services in England (595 at 114 sites).

Simon Williams, Head of Policy, RAC, said:

“Although the previous government’s target of having six high-powered chargers over 50kW at every motorway services in England was undoubtedly missed, it’s very clear that great progress is being made regardless and, in some locations, the number of chargers provided is now extremely impressive.

“It is particularly encouraging to see so many ultra-rapid chargers being installed, with these representing nearly three-quarters (73%) of all the high-powered devices at motorway services so far this year, up from 54% a year ago. As we’ve long said, this is just what’s needed to give current and prospective EV drivers the reassurance to know they can get back on the road quickly when making long journeys beyond the range of their cars.

“We know there is a willingness from both service station companies and charge point operators to get as many of the fastest devices put in, but often the prime stumbling block is getting the required high-powered connections to the country’s national electricity grid. More needs to be done to make this process faster and simpler than it is currently. This is the exact point of the Government’s £950m Rapid Charging Fund, so it would be good to see this delivering more high-speed connections soon.”

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