The Best Areas in the UK to Own an EV – and the Worst!

Thinking of switching to an electric vehicle? Great idea. A common question that prospective EV buyers ask – and rightfully so – is whether their city will have the amenities necessary to accommodate their electric car. Though some cities rank higher in terms of the availability of charging devices, the truth is that throughout the UK, most cities are well-equipped for EVs. To exemplify this, take August 2022 as an example. At the end of August, there were 33,996 EV charging points around the UK across 20,534 charging locations. Compared to August 2021, this marks a 34% increase in the number of chargers available. 

Still, it is helpful to see where in the UK will serve you better as an EV owner, so we have laid out the best and worst UK cities to own an EV in this article, having looked at various sources. We have based this on the availability of charging devices per 100,000 people, and we think some of them will surprise you. 

In no particular order, then, the best cities are as follows:

Isle of Man

Most sources are consistent in the finding that the Isle of Man is one of the greatest places in the UK to drive an EV. There are 98 charging points across the Isle of Man, each separated by 2 square miles. This means that for every charging point, there are just 863 people. If you live on the Isle of Man, then you’ll enjoy a stress-free experience owning an EV and finding a charger.

London

It should come as no surprise that England’s capital ranks as one of the top UK cities for EV ownership. Around London, there are 109.9 charging points per 100,000 people. 

Not only that, but being an EV driver earns you a whole host of other rewards in London; namely, you can use the Congestion Zone free of charge, sparing you the daily £15 charge. When you add this up, this could amount to a substantial annual saving for Londoners who need to drive through central London regularly.

Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes has emerged as one of the best areas in the UK to own an electric car, with 137 charging points per 100,000 people, according to recent research. The area also has the highest number of rapid charging devices in Milton Keynes, at 121.

Coventry 

Good news for West Midlanders: Coventry has also earned a place as one of the best UK cities to own an electric vehicle on account of its 127.8 charging points per 100,000 people.

Brighton 

We’re beginning to wonder what Brighton lacks; you have fresh sea air, great fish and chips and ample EV chargers. If you’re from Brighton, you’ll enjoy access to some 117.9 charging devices – rendering this vibrant city another great home to electric vehicles.

Glasgow

If you were panicked by the notable absence of Scottish cities from the list thus far, then panic not: Glasgow is another brilliant UK host to EVs, with around 38 standard chargers per 100,000 and 5 rapid chargers per 100,000.

Sunderland

This unassuming city in the North East is currently host to the only large-scale EV battery factory in the UK. It is incredibly welcoming to electric vehicles in its abundance of chargers, with 57 standard and 9 rapid chargers per 100k people.

Newcastle

Keeping with the northern theme, Newcastle has also proved itself a worthy UK city in which to drive an EV. Geordie land is home to 41 standard and 9 rapid charging points per 100k of its population.

Worst UK Cities to Own an EV

Before we proceed with the “worst” UK cities in which to drive an EV, we should take this opportunity to reinforce that just because the following cities appear in this list, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in an EV if you live there. 

Across the board, the UK is working on becoming increasingly EV-friendly and stands as the global leader in actioning a shift towards this cleaner way of driving.

It’s also crucial to note that while there may be limited availability of EV charging stations UK, this doesn’t stop you from having a charger of your own installed in your home. Doing this may mean you aren’t as reliant on public charging stations and will, therefore, never have to notice that your city is less equipped for EVs than others in the UK.

Stoke-on-Trent

With only 14 chargers per 100,000 people, it is no surprise that Stoke-on-Trent doesn’t rank so highly in terms of charging accessibility.

Leicester

Leicester is also among the places where having an EV may be a slight disadvantage, given the 25 chargers per 100,000 and the zero rapid chargers per 100,000.

Bolton

Putting the North-West to shame is Bolton, with only 8.3 chargers per 100,000 — yikes!

Belfast

Fantastic accents they may have, EV chargers they have not. Belfast is reported to have only 15.5 chargers per 100k, meaning it isn’t the worst city to own an EV, but it certainly is not the best.

Southend-on-Sea

With only 9.3 chargers per 100,000, you may struggle to get your EV on a public charge in Southend-on-Sea.

The other cities that fell under the category of “worst” cities to own an EV are as follows:

• Southampton;
• Liverpool;
• Portsmouth;
• Bournemouth;
• Birmingham; 
• Manchester;
• Brighton.

Accessing EV Charging Points

Thanks to electric car charging apps, finding chargers has never been more straightforward. This map of chargers allows you to rapidly locate your nearest EV power source so that you can get your car on charge in no time at all.

Conclusion

We hope your city is one that falls into the list of top places to drive and own an EV in the UK. If it doesn’t, however, don’t let that deter you from investing in an electric vehicle. As of April 2022, the UK government launched the EV charge point grant, which provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing an EV smart charge point at homes across the UK. 

Furthermore, the government has pledged a tenfold increase in the number of public EV chargers by 2030. This means that even if your city is seemingly less-equipped to host EVs right now, it is set to vastly improve over the coming years– so there’s really no reason to hesitate based on the availability of chargers.