New number plates: where can I charge my new EV?

With many drivers collecting the keys to their brand new 22-plate electric vehicles (EV), the question of charging arises.

The good news is that EV chargers are expected to continue their growth in 2022.

Once again London is leading in the race as the region with the most EV chargers in the UK.

Car hire experts at LeaseElectricCar.co.uk have crunched numbers from the Department for Transport to find out how different regions rank when it comes to the number of EV chargers.

They have also suggested from the data that 2022 could be another year for increased EV charger growth across the nation.

As the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, so does the number of charging points.

And as of January 2022, there were 28,375 public electric vehicle charging devices across the UK, compared to July 2021 when there were 24,374 – an increase of 4,001 devices.

In the last 12 months the number of public devices has increased by 37 percent – a total of 7,600 across the UK.

This number has increased year on year since 2015 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Another big development over the last year is the rise of rapid charging devices, which have grown by a third, equating to 1,276 devices in total - a number which has again, increased every year since 2015.

A spokesperson for LeaseElectricCar.co.uk said: “It is clear from the data that there has been growth in every part of the country and when we look back at the previous years it’s hard to see this changing.

“There is no surprise that London comes out top of the list when it comes to the sheer number of charging devices. But Scotland looks well on its way, with a higher number of rapid chargers per 100,000 than the capital.

“The electric car market is booming but this means that there is a requirement at a local level for an increased amount of electric chargers to account for this growth."

It appears that although the number of charging points is increasing overall there is still a huge gap between London and the rest of the country.

London currently has the highest concentration of public charging points with 102 per 100,000 of the population.

This is 84 more per 100,000 than Northern Ireland and 78 more than the North West – which could suggest that there will be further developments in these areas during 2022.

The story is different when it comes to rapid chargers, with Scotland being progressive in this area.

There are currently 12.9 rapid chargers per 100,000 people in Scotland in comparison to just eight in London.

The East Midlands saw the greatest amount of growth in rapid charging devices between October 1 2021 and January 1 2022.

Region           Public charging devices per 100,000 of population

England                            43

North East                        36

North West                       24

Yorkshire and the Humber  26

East Midlands                    32

West Midlands                   31

East of England                 29

London                            102

South East                       39

South West                      35

Wales                              33

Scotland                          52

Northern Ireland              18

For 7 ways to save money on your car costs visit:

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/lifestyle/cars/new-number-plates-7-ways-to-save-money-on-your-car-costs-in-2022-3593620