The United Kingdom now has significantly more public EV charging points than petrol pump nozzles, yet many residents may not realize this shift. Public perception often lags behind reality. According to new data released with the government-backed Electric Road Trip campaign, there are over 118,000 public charge points nationwide, compared to around 60,800 fuel pumps.
The UK continues to expand its public EV charging network, ensuring that growth keeps pace with rising demand. As more electric vehicles replace petrol and diesel cars, the number of petrol stations is expected to keep declining.
Petrol nozzles have been decreasing for decades. The Petrol Retailers Association reports that Britain had 38,000 filling stations in 1964. That number dropped to 18,000 by 1992, then to around 9,000 by 2010, and has since stabilized at roughly 8,500.
The government has committed to installing many more public EV chargers. Plans include rolling out an additional 100,000 local public chargers in the coming years, along with funding and planning reforms to make home charger installation easier and more affordable for residents without private driveways. This could allow charging for as little as 2p per mile.
It is now clear that public EV chargers outnumber petrol nozzles, and this gap will only widen. Some experts suggest that petrol stations could disappear from Britain within about 12 years.
There are also hundreds of thousands of home EV chargers across the UK. Recent analysis shows there are currently 809,181 home chargers, highlighting the importance of private charging networks.
Most EV charging takes place at home, offering greater convenience than driving to a petrol station. The question remains: will we witness the end of UK petrol and diesel stations in our lifetime? One day, it may become reality.
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