RAC research has revealed that the Government is lagging behind in its ambition to provide six or more rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargers at every motorway service area in England by 2023.
Of the 119 motorway services the RAC looked at on Zapmap, less than a quarter (23% – 27) had the target number of chargers to service the 760,000* battery electric vehicles in the UK.
High-powered charging units, capable of charging 682 electric vehicles, were found at an average of 3.4 per motorway service. The mean number of connectors on these units was 3.8 CCS (Combined Charging System) and 1.8 CHadeMO, typically used by owners of the popular Nissan Leaf.
Six motorway services, including Leicester Forest M1, Tebay South M6, Carlisle North M1, Strensham South M5, and Barton Park A1(M) were found to have no high-powered chargers.
The ‘Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy’, published in March 2022, is attempting to meet Government policy from a 2020 paper which promises ‘at least six rapid chargers’ at every motorway service area by the end of 2023.
Currently, just six services boast more than 12 of these units: Exeter M5, Rugby M6, Reading East and West M4, Thurrock M25 and Wetherby A1(M).
Despite the UK boasting an impressive 42,566 charging devices, a mere 5% of those – or 7,928- are high powered units suitable for motorway services.
According to Zapmap’s figures, the lack of these ultra-rapid stations at motorway services remains a major issue to contend with, when it comes to electric vehicles on the go.
Source: RAC.
