The best and worst areas in the UK to own an electric vehicle

Are you in the market for an electric vehicle? Well, you’re not alone. According to research by Compare the Market, there are more than 475,000 electric cars on UK roads, and the number is only growing.

The problem? We still don’t have nearly enough charging points to handle the switch to electric motors. Here’s a look at the best and worst places to own electric cars in the UK based on this infrastructure gap.   

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What is an electric vehicle?

An electric car runs on electricity rather than fossil fuels like petrol or diesel. So, rather than taking the car to the petrol station for fuel, you charge its battery instead. There are two ways to charge the battery:

• At home, if you have somewhere to install a wallbox charger 
• At a public charging point 

Home charging points can be expensive to install, so people often use public chargers.

This is where the problem lies, though. There are only 24,219 charging stations around the country, which means you might find it tricky to actually power your vehicle! So, if you’re thinking about buying an electric car, here’s a breakdown of the easiest and hardest places to charge your vehicle in the UK. 

The best places to own an electric vehicle in the UK

Let’s start with the places most ready to switch from petrol and diesel to electric motoring, according to Compare the Market’s research: 

• Coventry: If you live in Coventry, then you’re in luck. There are 456 charging points in Coventry for just 1,116 electric cars, which means you won’t struggle to find a charger in the area.
• Outer Hebrides: Yes, really! There are 27 charging points and only 70 electric cars, so it’s easy to find power. 
• Brighton and Hove: There’s good infrastructure if you plan on going electric: the area already has an impressive 331 charging points.

Other top-performing areas include:

• Westminster: 1,059 charging points for 3,626 electric cars
• Pembrokeshire: 104 charging stations for 375 electric vehicles
• Fermanagh and Omagh: 150 electric vehicles, with 38 charging points to choose from
• Dumfries and Galloway: 101 charging stations and 413 electric cars

If you have an electric car and you live near these areas, you won’t wait in much of a queue for power!

The worst places for electric vehicles in the UK

At the other end of the scale, here are the areas least ready to adopt widespread electric vehicle use just yet.

• Isles of Scilly: There are 42 electric cars here, but 0 charging points. So, there’s no capacity to power electric vehicles here unless residents can fit home chargers.
• Stockport: Stockport has an impressive 34,767 electric motors on the road but only 35 charging points, which is a fairly poor ratio.
• Swindon: With only 45 charging points for 17,524 electric cars, Swindon could do with some more infrastructure. 

Other areas with a low number of power points compared to the number of electric vehicles on the road include:

• Renfrewshire: Renfrewshire has 8,142 electric cars on the road, with only 71 charging points.
• Leeds: In Leeds, there are 227 charging stations to go around a whopping 17,084 electric cars.
• Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes doesn’t fare much better, with 18,794 electric vehicles fighting for just 364 charging points.

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Takeaway

The bottom line? While there’s still a shortage of charging points across the UK, don’t let this deter you from considering an electric vehicle in the future.

And if you decide to go electric or you buy a hybrid, remember to always shop around for the best car insurance quote. Check out price comparison platforms like GoCompare and Confused.com to get started.