The United Kingdom is undergoing a transformative shift towards a greener and more sustainable future. One of the key components of this transformation is the rapid expansion of electric car charging infrastructure across the country.
As the world grapples with climate change and seeks cleaner transportation alternatives, the UK is hoping to set an example of how electric vehicles can be embraced, with the infrastructure to support them.
The rapid rise of electric vehicles
It still doesn’t feel like long ago when electric cars were a niche market, with concerns about their range and the availability of charging stations. However, this has quickly changed.
Initiatives like the Plug-in Car Grant, which provided financial incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, have since made them more accessible, and, despite recent delays, plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the coming years has encouraged manufacturers to accelerate their transition to electric.
Charging point numbers set to skyrocket
The UK now faces a race to ensure its charging infrastructure can keep pace with the rapidly increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads.
According to EV charging tracker Zapmap, there were 48,450 EV charging points across the UK in August 2023 – a 42% increase on the August 2022 total. However, this total is set to increase even more rapidly in the coming years, with the government claiming that 300,000 EV chargers will be available in the UK by 2030, equivalent to almost five times the number of fuel pumps currently on our roads.
The increase in charging infrastructure aims to substantially reduce so-called ‘range anxiety’ – the fear of running out of battery power before reaching a charging station. With more charging points available and faster charging technologies being developed, EV drivers should soon be able to travel longer distances with greater confidence.
How ACS is contributing to the charging boom
In 2019, we were appointed as the civil engineering and construction partner for Fastned UK, who are currently building a pan-European network of superfast EV charging stations.
We recently completed work on one of Europe’s most powerful EV charging hubs at Redbridge Park and Ride, Oxford, with each charging bay being capable of adding 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes for hundreds of EVs per day. We have also constructed several other charging stations all over the UK, with the electricity provided by a sustainable energy supplier through solar and other renewable sources.
ACS has also committed to modernising its fleet of vehicles, investing in electric and hybrid vehicles including a Polestar, three Teslas, a BMW IX3, and two Volvos.
Looking ahead
It’s clear that although plenty of great progress has already been made, the UK’s work to successfully transition to EVs is far from over. The country is poised to continue expanding its charging network, and at ACS we are proud to be part of the push to make EVs even more accessible and attractive to consumers.
Have you already made the switch to electric, or are you planning to switch soon? And how do you feel about the current state of the UK’s EV charging infrastructure? Feel free to let us know on social media.