Areas of the UK where people could be most and least affected by petrol shortages

Research from money.co.uk looks at the UK’s EV hotspots

• Motorists in Slough are likely to be the least affected by the fuel shortage with almost 12% of registered vehicles being ULEVs.
• Despite being one of the country’s leading local authorities for EV uptake, Stockport has the UK’s highest competition for public charging points.
• Of the Top 10 areas where motorists are most exposed to fuel shortages, 6 are in Northern Ireland and 3 are in Wales.
• Motorists in Blaenau Gwent are the most likely to be impacted by petrol shortages with the country’s lowest uptake of electric vehicles (0.21%).
• Coventry is most prepared for the move to electric vehicles with 2.5 EVs to every public charging point.
• Data for your region or local authority available on request

Motorists in Slough have been the least impacted by the current petrol shortage with EVs accounting for 12% of registered vehicles, according to analysis from car insurance experts at money.co.uk.

As people across the country continue to queue for petrol, the current fuel crisis highlights just how reliant we are on fossil fuels.

In fact, just 1.5% of cars currently on our roads are pure electric, meaning that the vast majority of drivers will have been hit by the fuel crisis in some way – and will continue to be exposed to any future shortages.

In order to hit climate targets and keep the nation moving, uptake of electric or alternatively fuelled vehicles will need to increase drastically. But where in the UK are motorists embracing the move to electric and who’s falling behind?

Using data on vehicle registrations by local authority, money.co.uk found the areas of the UK with the highest proportion of motorists that remained unaffected by the petrol shortage – as well as those where almost no one escaped.

Top 10 areas likely to be least affected 

(Highest percentage of EVs)

1. Slough – 11.98%
2. Stockport – 10.06%
3. Peterborough – 9.59%
4. Watford – 9.15%
5. Westminster – 7.40%
6. Swindon – 7.36%
7. Renfrewshire – 6.61%
8. Hammersmith and Fulham – 6.08%
9. Milton Keynes – 5.98%
10. Camden – 5.73%

Top 10 areas likely to be most affected

(Lowest percentage of EVs)

1. Blaenau Gwent – 0.21%
2. Fermanagh and Omagh – 0.23%
3. Merthyr Tydfil – 0.25%
4. Mid Ulster – 0.26%
5. Derry City and Strabane – 0.28%
6. Newry, Mourne and Down – 0.28%
7. Causeway Coast and Glens – 0.29%
8. Mid and East Antrim – 0.30%
9. Neath Port Talbot – 0.30%
10. Middlesbrough – 0.30%

Data for any of the 369 local authorities included in the study, as well as local authorities by region available on request.

Of the areas with the proportion of motorists that have been least affected by petrol shortages, 8 of the top 10 (80%) are in the south of England. However, when looking at where motorists are the most reliant on petrol, 90% of the top 10 are in Northern Ireland and South Wales.

Middlesbrough (0.30%) was the only English local authority among those most affected by petrol shortages.

James Andrews, senior car insurance editor for money.co.uk commented: “The frustration of waiting in line only to see the car in front of you empty the pump is enough to make most people think hard about going electric and see those who already have feeling glad that they did.

“However, with plug-in cars making up less than two per cent of vehicles on our roads, more needs to be done in order to incentivise motorists to make the move to electric or the UK risks missing its emission targets, while also leaving itself exposed to future supply issues.

“The EV market has grown considerably in recent years and there are plenty of affordable options to choose from. So, if you’re on the hunt for an electric car or just debating whether you should ditch the gas guzzler, it’s a good idea to do a little research first to familiarise yourself with the pros and cons.

“And just like with any large financial decision, always take the time to shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal for you.”

Kindly credit the research with a link to the following URL: https://www.money.co.uk/car-insurance.htm

See money.co.uk’s guide to see how you could save money by driving an electric car