UK Power Networks has recorded a 42% increase in the number of EV chargers that have been connected to the company’s local grids.
The total number of new EV chargers that have been installed across London, the East and South East of England has increased by nearly 2,700 in the past 12 months, according to UK Power Networks.
With a 47% year-on-year increase, UK Power Networks is having to meet exceptional demand for EV charging. After all, additional EV chargers put strain on their local grid, with a single 50kW rapid charger using the same amount of power as a block of 25 flats. That is why UK Power Networks is currently undergoing a number of projects to upgrade local grids for the estimated 4.5 million EVs it expects to serve by 2030.
There are a total of 9,000 EV chargers connected to UK Power Networks’ local grids, which means it has more chargers than any other distribution network operator in the UK. In fact, 40% of all chargepoints in Great Britain are connected to a UK Power Networks grid, with it facing double the volume of chargers compared to any other DNO.
Shira Lappin, innovation project lead at UK Power Networks, noted, “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%. 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.”
Earlier this year, UK Power Networks launched its Green Recovery programme, an unprecedented opportunity to address climate change by kick-starting 86 shovel-ready green energy infrastructure projects. In total, £66 million is being invested, including enabling 11 motorway service areas to install more than 600 ultra-fast 150kW chargers. This investment, combined with collaborative work across the sector, aims to create the new infrastructure that inspires customers with the confidence to switch to an EV.