UK Ultra‑Rapid Charging Network Expands Rapidly to Support EV Transition

Welcome to Net Zero News, your daily briefing on the UK’s transition to a low‑carbon future.

The UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure continues to scale at pace, underpinning the shift to zero‑emission transport and bolstering confidence in EV adoption. In the past year, the public charging network has grown by over 23%, adding around 15,000 new chargepoints across Britain and elevating the total to more than 86,000. Approximately 17,356 of these are rapid or ultra‑rapid outlets, enabling drivers to charge to 80% in just 20 to 40 minutes, substantially enhancing convenience for long‑distance travel and urban users alike. Growth has been borne not only in London, but notably across regions such as Yorkshire and the Humber, Wales, the West Midlands and the East of England. Regional increases reflect a 23.4% rise in England outside London and 21.7% within the capital between October 2024 and October 2025.

Ultra‑rapid and rapid charging continues to outpace slower options. In 2025’s first half, the UK witnessed a 27% year‑on‑year surge in new installations 8,670 devices in total taking the infrastructure to 82,369 units. Charging hubs, defined as locations with six or more rapid or ultra‑rapid devices, increased by 136 across the UK, totalling 673 hubs and signalling a clear shift towards high‑power charging clusters offering fast turnaround.The number of ultra‑rapid devices (≥150 kW) alone rose by nearly 23%, now at 8,619 units. Crucially, ultra‑rapid chargers have, for the first time, outstripped regular rapid devices, highlighting the demand for swift, long‑haul charging solutions.

Notably, key network operators are rapidly expanding their footprint. IONITY, Europe’s high‑power charging provider, has crossed the milestone of over 700 ultra‑rapid 350 kW+ chargers in the UK a more than twofold increase in under a year with ambitions to exceed 1,000 by the end of 2026. Its strategic deployment includes sites in Fort William, Inverness, Aston (south Birmingham), and others to broaden geographic access. IONITY now operates one‑third of all UK public ultra‑rapid chargers, with 10% to 80% charge times under 15 minutes boosting long‑distance confidence.InstaVolt has also doubled its charger network over two years, reaching 2,000 ultra‑rapid chargers by April 2025, and is on track for a 3,000‑charger threshold within the next year. Its Blackfen hub, installed near East London, underscores its focus on serving urban areas and commuter corridors where home charging may be limited.

Major forecourt operators are also entering the EV arena. Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has completed a roll‑out of over 580 rapid charging bays across nearly 300 Morrisons supermarket sites, installed in just five months. MFG’s ‘dual fuel’ approach pairing ultra‑rapid hubs with traditional forecourts anticipates hosting approximately 1,900 charging bays by Q4 2025, and up to 100 ultra‑rapid hubs on Morrisons sites by 2030, delivering a seamless experience for motorists combining shopping and charging.

The scale of the public charging infrastructure has further reached a milestone of 100,000 operational public chargepoints across the UK. Rapid and ultra‑rapid outlets now represent nearly 24% of this total, aligning with the government’s 2030 ICE vehicle phase‑out targets and a national ambition of 300,000 public chargers by that year. This deployment momentum is supported by a growing number of commercial and public‑sector investment schemes, designed to bridge gaps in rural, urban and underserved communities.

What this means:

Rapid expansion of charging networks particularly ultra‑rapid hubs is critical to sustaining EV uptake by making long journeys and city living more viable for drivers without home charging.
Regions beyond London are catching up fast, reducing geographic disparities and fostering inclusivity in transport decarbonisation.
Major players IONITY, InstaVolt, MFG are driving scale and innovation, while government‑backed milestones pave the way for meeting future targets.

Upcoming Events:
Net Zero Scotland Projects Conference ‑16 June 2026, Edinburgh

Net Zero Nations Projects Conference ‑ 6 October 2026, Westminster

Do you have technologies, innovations or solutions that can help public‑sector net‑zero projects?
Email: lee@net‑zero.scot