Volkswagen (VW) claims to now boast the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network in Europe.

Its subsidiary Elli now has more than 400,000 charging points installed in 27 countries.

In the last 18 months, the charging network has doubled in size, VW has stated – collaborating with Swedish company Vattenfall and Dutch company Fastned to expand it.

The countries where it has grown most prominently are the UK, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Elli CEO Elke Temme said: “We have taken a huge step closer to our vision by offering 400,000 charging points in Europe.

“In line with our new auto strategy, we now offer the largest ecosystem for drivers of EVs in Europe and are continuing to press full speed ahead in our work to expand the charging network.”

VW has stated that its chargers can be used by all drivers and are not specific to its own brands.