One-in-10 UK supermarkets now offers access to EV charge points (electric vehicle), new analysis from Zapmap and the RAC shows.
Supermarkets added more than 600 new charging locations in 2023 – a year-on-year increase of 59% – with devices now found at 1,616 stores, up from 1,015 in 2022, and 13% of all 12,839 UK supermarkets.
Charger installations also increased by two-thirds (69%) with stores adding 1,195 new charging devices last year. This brought the total number up from 1,721 in January 2022 to 2,916 by the end of 2023.
The analysis suggests the vast majority of the 1,107 EV charge points installed were rapid or ultra-rapid – a 145% increase on the 451 rapid chargers installed in 2022.
It means that more than half (55%) of all supermarket charging locations now offer higher-powered charging capabilities.
By the end of last year, 10% of all rapid and ultra-rapid chargers in the UK were based at supermarket locations – 1,107 units out of 10,967 across the country.
“It’s very encouraging to see supermarkets doing their best to allay these fears by ramping up EV charging facilities across a greater proportion of their estates,” said RAC EV spokesperson Simon Williams.
“The data also shows a surge of investment in the very fastest chargers. These rapid and ultra-rapid units are the closest drivers can get to filling up with fuel because they offer the fastest charging speeds, helping to reduce queues so motorists can resume their journeys as quickly as possible.”
Read more: FleetNews