Zap-Map is backing announcements by the UK Government for a range of new measures to help boost numbers of ultra-rapid EV charge points across England.
Plans are to ensure there are at least six open-access ultra-rapid EV chargers at motorway service areas in England by 2023, with some larger sites having 10-12. This will be supported by the £500 million Rapid Charging Fund, announced in the March Budget.
These 150 – 350 kW units dramatically reduce charging times for the latest generation of EVs – a key factor for those using the motorway network for long-distance travel in particular.
Looking further ahead, in-line with increasing electric vehicle sales, government plans to see around 2,500 ultra-rapid charge points across motorway and major A-road sites by 2030, and around 6,000 by 2035.
Guidance as to how the points can be accessed has been laid-out, requiring the following conditions to be met for the chargers to be included within government plans:
● drivers can pay for charging and access points using a credit or debit card
● information about the chargepoints on motorways will be openly available
● chargepoints will be available 99% of the time
● 24/7 customer support available
● sites will have charge points that support all types of electric vehicles
● clear pricing information available in pence per kilowatt hour
Support from the government will be available from the Rapid Charging Fund to support installation costs of these ultra-rapid units.
A portion of strategic costs, such as upgrading connections to meet demand for high-powered charging. Timing and process details will be confirmed in due course.
Current reports from the government are that a driver is never further than 25 miles away from a 50 kW rapid charge point along England’s motorways and major A-roads, with 809 open-access chargers as of 1st January 2020. These exclude Tesla Supercharger units, since they are only available for use by Tesla drivers.
Dr Ben Lane, CTO and Joint MD at Zap-Map commented: “We really welcome the UK Government’s vision for ultra-rapid charging points for England to 2035.
“As the size of the EV fleet increases, it will be essential that we deploy thousands of high quality 150-350 kW charging units to satisfy demand and to persuade all drivers to go electric.
“The £500 million public funding will also accelerate private investment in charging infrastructure and ensure that the UK remains a key player in the global EV market.”
Zap-Map users can filter for ultra-rapid charge points on the app and desktop map already, and will of course feature all of the expected points from above proposals.
