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The UK鈥檚 accelerating shift to electric vehicles is reshaping infrastructure needs. Charging has both energy and spatial considerations, and therefore a real estate opportunity. Rising adoption, structural policy support, and a lag in public charging provision all point to opportunity. Portfolios with underutilised or grey space, in strategic locations, are increasingly well placed to create value by hosting EV charging infrastructure.

The key takeaways are below with the full report available to download here .

23% of all new cars ZEV

Zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) are accounting for an increasing proportion of new cars, reaching 23% in 2025, up from 7% in 2020. The ZEV mandate, as well as ongoing government grant support, will likely see adoption continue to rise.

8x increase in ownership

BEV ownership has risen eight-fold in five years to 1.6 million cars, yet public charging has only tripled since 2021. The BEV-to-public charger ratio has deteriorated from 11 to around 14, underscoring the structural need for more charging infrastructure

7.6m BEVs potential by 2030

The shift to electric is being met with climbing car ownership, driven by more new, as well as longer tenure vehicles. By projecting five-year growth trends, and assuming ZEV targets are met, almost 2.1 million BEVs could be newly registered in 2030, leading to a total BEV fleet of around 7.6 million (20% of all cars).

89,000 rapid chargers

Meeting a Norway-style provision, where almost all new cars are electric, would indicate that 213,000 public chargers would be required by 2030, including 89,000 rapid (DC) chargers. This implies a need for 62,000 new DC chargers, potentially requiring 1,900 acres of land.

200 acres of potential

EV charging infrastructure can utilise grey or disused sites rather than green space. Applying specific criteria to Birmingham and Bristol alone identified nearly 200 acres of potential forecourt suitable land demonstrating the larger nationwide opportunity. Rural and strategic road corridors could also be well-placed to capture demand and strengthen asset resilience.

David Goatman, Global Head of Energy & Sustainability, adds: 鈥淭he UK EV charging market has entered a more data driven and competitive phase, with rents for viable charging locations continuing to rise. Charge point operators remain highly acquisitive, and the market for rapid and ultra rapid hubs is expanding as new participants enter and seek scale. When advising asset owners, we always emphasise three points: assess your estate, obtain advice on site viability, and do not accept the first operator approach in an increasingly competitive landscape.鈥�

Ultimately, the trajectory is clear. EV adoption is likely to continue to rise, and charging capacity must accelerate to support the transition with real estate likely to be critical to delivering it. Owners with unused or under deployed land may have an opportunity to create value, diversify income, and support the energy transition. The next step is understanding where within a portfolio the opportunity exists.