Of all the skills an electrician can gain that are in high demand, none may be more sought-after than those learned on an electric vehicle charging course. The transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles means demand for places to charge up is certain to increase over the coming years.
Indeed, proof of this has been provided multiple times by various initiatives that have seen the total number of chargers increasing. According to ZapMap, by the end of March 2025, there were over 76,000 chargers in the UK, up 1,165 on the previous month. The overall tally of chargers was 29 per cent higher than in March 2024.
However, the increase has been uneven, with some parts of the country increasing provision faster than others. In some instances, there has been a stark contrast between neighbouring local authorities.
Fast Forward In The West Midlands
For example, government figures show that in Coventry, there are 2,471 devices for a population of 360,000, compared with 1,082 in Birmingham, with a population of 1.16 million. In Sandwell, which has a population only 19,000 lower than Coventry, there are only 109, while Wolverhampton’s 272,000 residents have just 91 between them. Walsall has only 71.
Such variations have prompted action from West Midlands mayor Richard Parker. Although the metropolitan county has seen a 36 per cent rise in charge points over the last year, he wants to go further and has just announced the installation of another 10,000 charge points to add to the 4,000 now in place.
“I’m giving the green light for 10,000 more charging connection points as part of our transport revolution,” he remarked, adding: “This is about building a cleaner and greener future for all of our communities, reducing pollution and tackling the climate emergency head-on.”
Among the new chargers will be nearly 200 ultra-fast charge points spread across nine locations where drivers can charge their vehicles with 100 miles of range in under 15 minutes.
The announcement highlighted the importance of adding chargers all over the country to help tackle range anxiety, the fear some motorists have that they could get stuck somewhere with an empty battery and no access to a charger. This, of course, is a greater concern in rural areas than major urban centres like the West Midlands.
The North West Trails Behind
A comparison of other major conurbations shows a similar imbalance in the number of chargers. For instance, Greater Manchester has a very similar population to the West Midlands, but the best-performing borough is the City of Manchester, with 421 boroughs. Tameside has just 52 and Bury only 54.
This could create lots of opportunities for electricians in the north-west, not least as there is a similar picture on Merseyside. Liverpool has 614 devices, but Wirral has only 125, Sefton 77, Knowsley 52 and St Helens a mere 50.
This highly uneven picture goes to show how far there is to go. But there is also an opportunity for areas of the north-west to catch up with concerted action in the same way that the West Midlands is managing. As this happens, electricians with the skills and training to install and maintain EV chargers will be in big demand.