The number of electric vehicle (EV) changing points installations has risen by 42 per cent across UK Power Networks’ patch in the south and east of England.
Almost 2,700 charge points have been added in London and across UKPN’s region bringing the total to more than 9,000 chargepoints powered by the distribution network operator.
Ahead of sales of new petrol and diesel cars being banned in 2030, the company is preparing the region for an estimated a 4.5 million EVs on the road by the end of the decade.
As the number of EVs on the roads rises, so does the need for charging infrastructure.
Shira Lappin, innovation project lead at UKPN, said: “It’s important that we work with local and central government, charge point operators, customers and other stakeholders to ensure that the transition to net zero is a seamless one and everyone has access to the charging infrastructure they need”.
“In the 12-month period between April 2020 and April this year, the number of charge points in our areas grew by 42 per cent. However, there’s still a lot of work to do to meet the growing demand for EVs and charge points, and we’ll continue to be at the forefront of innovation to get there.”
UKPN’s grids power 40 per cent of the chargepoints in Great Britain, which is almost double the volume of any other network operator.
As part of the company’s Green Recovery programme, it set out plans to invest £66 million in chargers at motorway service stations as well as ultrafast chargers to give consumers more confidence in the infrastructure ahead of buying an electrified car.