How London is the WORST place in the UK for finding a ‘rapid charging port’ for electric vehicles

An interactive map reveals the scale of Britain’s electric vehicle (EV) charging points and shows how the infrastructure varies around the country, with London lagging behind other cities. 

London came bottom of a list of ten cities when measuring the percentage of its charging locations that put out more than 43kW of power when plugged in. 

This amount of power is the qualifying criteria a charging station must meet in order to be classified as ‘rapid charge’, according to the firm that collected the data. 

Just 8.56 per cent of all charging points in London are classified as rapid charge, whereas Leeds tops the list with 43.14 per cent of all sockets churning out more than 43kW. 

The graphic, developed by Esri UK using data from Open Charge Map, allows users to see charging locations in London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Bristol, Bradford and Leeds.    

London, despite coming bottom of the list for the percentage of rapid charge points, had by far the most charging points overall. 

A total of 184 rapid charging stations are found throughout London, more than the other nine cities combined (166).

Navigate the graphic by clicking and dragging to the city of interest on the map. Click on the city and, stats of the electric vehicle infrastructure will appear, including number of rapid charging points and how many rapid ports are found per person.  

Leeds tops the list of British cities with the share of its electric vehicle charging ports classified as rapid. A total of 43.14 per cent of all sockets above 43kW – the threshold to be considered ‘rapid charge’

London came bottom of a list of ten cities when measuring the percentage of charging locations over 43kW - the classification for 'rapid charge', according to the firm that collected the data. London, despite coming bottom of the list for percentage of rapid charge points, had by far the most charging points — both above and below 43kW

London came bottom of a list of ten cities when measuring the percentage of charging locations over 43kW – the classification for ‘rapid charge’, according to the firm that collected the data. London, despite coming bottom of the list for percentage of rapid charge points, had by far the most charging points — both above and below 43kW

‘We wanted to examine the current landscape and see where the charge points are located but also the proportion of rapid chargers, which can offer a lot more convenience to drivers,’ explained Sam Bark, cartographer at Esri UK. 

‘Mapping is a powerful way of visualising data as it brings it to life, revealing patterns and trends that would otherwise lay hidden.

‘There is a lot of information about the growth of electric vehicle use and the charging infrastructure is growing all the time but unless it’s examined spatially it doesn’t really mean much. 

‘By mapping the data and applying city boundaries, it became clear where each city is in terms of developing its charging infrastructure. 

‘Visualising data in this way allows organisations to share information, understand a situation more clearly and make better decisions.’ 

RAPID VS NORMAL CHARGNG POINT COMPARISON 
City   % of rapid vs total ports Number of total ports Number of rapid ports Population
Leeds  43.14 51 22 787,764
Bradford  36 25 9 536,783
3 Bristol  32.43 37 12 457,463
Edinburgh  29.17 48 14 512,920
5 Sheffield  29.17 24 7 579,779
Birmingham  28.46 123 35 2,529,308
7 Manchester  22.39 201 45 2,801,898
8 Glasgow  21.88 64 14 620,262
9 Liverpool  16.67 48 8 488,982
10  London  8.56 2,150 184 8,868,942
RAPID CHARGING PORT PER CAPITA  
City   How many people per rapid charging point 
Leeds  35,794
Edinburgh  36,637
Bristol  38,122
Glasgow  44,304
London  48,201
6 Bradford  59,643
Liverpool  61,123
8 Manchester  62,264
9 Birmingham  72,266
10  Sheffield   82,826

ESRI also mapped the ten cities individually, so that they could be seen outside of the interactive tool.  

Yellow lightning flashes in the images show rapid charge point locations while the red locations are the standard chargers. The coloured shading (red, amber, green) shows the percentage of rapid charge points.

Behind Leeds with the highest percentage of rapid charging points are Bradford with 36.0 per cent and Bristol with 32.43 per cent. 

Using the latest Open Charge Map national data, Esri UK applied city boundaries and plotted the relevant datasets.  

When rating the amount of rapid chargers compared to the population of the city they are in, London ranks middle of the pack, coming in fifth with one rapid charging point per ever 48,201 people. 

Transport for London has been approached for comment. 

By this metric, Leeds still came out on top with one 43kW or above charger for every  35,794 people. However, Sheffield was worst of the ten cities studied, with only one charger point for every 82,826 residents.   

The data, collected by ESRI UK using data from Open Charge Map, found 22.39 per cent of all charging points are classified as rapid in Greater Manchester. In Greater Manchester there is one rapid charging point for every 62,264 people

The data, collected by ESRI UK using data from Open Charge Map, found 22.39 per cent of all charging points are classified as rapid in Greater Manchester. In Greater Manchester there is one rapid charging point for every 62,264 people

Sheffield comes bottom of all cities tested when looking at the amount of rapid charge points per capita. There is only one  rapid charging point for every 62,264 people

Sheffield comes bottom of all cities tested when looking at the amount of rapid charge points per capita. There is only one  rapid charging point for every 62,264 people

Bristol came third for both rapid charging point per capita at one for every 38,122 residents and and also for percentage of all EV charging ports above 43 kW - at around 32 per cent

Bristol came third for both rapid charging point per capita at one for every 38,122 residents and and also for percentage of all EV charging ports above 43 kW – at around 32 per cent 

Birmingham has a total of 123 charging ports for electric vehicles, of which 35 are rapid charge. This makes more than a quarter of all ports being considered rapid

Birmingham has a total of 123 charging ports for electric vehicles, of which 35 are rapid charge. This makes more than a quarter of all ports being considered rapid

Behind Leeds with the highest percentage of rapid charging points are Bradford with 36.0 per cent and Bristol with 32.43 per cent. Using the latest Open Charge Map national data, Esri UK applied city boundaries and plotted the relevant datasets

Behind Leeds with the highest percentage of rapid charging points are Bradford with 36.0 per cent and Bristol with 32.43 per cent. Using the latest Open Charge Map national data, Esri UK applied city boundaries and plotted the relevant datasets

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and fares better than the English capital for ratio of rapid charge ports to standard ones. However it has far less EV ports overall when compared to London

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and fares better than the English capital for ratio of rapid charge ports to standard ones. However it has far less EV ports overall when compared to London 

Liverpool was the second worst performing city, behind London. It also only has eight rapid ports, in contrast to London's 184 rapid charger points. A total of 184 rapid charging stations are found throughout London, more than other nine cities combined (166)

Liverpool was the second worst performing city, behind London. It also only has eight rapid ports, in contrast to London’s 184 rapid charger points. A total of 184 rapid charging stations are found throughout London, more than other nine cities combined (166)

Glasgow fared slightly worse than the other Scottish city analysed in the research, with around one in five charging ports for electric vehicles reaching the qualifying 'rapid charge' criteria of 43kW

Glasgow fared slightly worse than the other Scottish city analysed in the research, with around one in five charging ports for electric vehicles reaching the qualifying ‘rapid charge’ criteria of 43kW 

HOW TO CHARGE ELECTRIC CARS SAFELY

 Never use a domestic multi socket extension lead when charging your electric vehicle. If you do need to use an extension lead only ever use one that is suitable for outdoor use such as a reel cable.

Never ‘daisy-chain’ extension leads. The method of plugging more than one extension lead into another in order to reach a greater distance increases the risk of an electrical fire as well as electric shock.

Always buy your charging cable from a reputable retailer or directly from the manufacturer who will put such products through rigorous tests to ensure they meet UK safety standards.

Ensure you frequently check your charging cable for wear and tear and replace it if any damage is evident.

If you are charging from a 13A mains socket in your home, ensure the wiring in your property has been checked prior to doing so. Old wiring may not be able to cope with the demand from charging your vehicle overnight and risk a fire in your property.

The safest and most convenient way to charge your vehicle at home is through a dedicated wall box charging point. Ensure this is installed by a qualified, registered and competent electrician only. Use our ‘find an electrician’ page to locate one near you.

Take advantage of the on-going Government schemes aimed at relieving consumers of some of the cost linked to the installation of a home charging point.

Source: Electrical Safety First 

 

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