- London has been revealed as the third city most prepared for the switchover to electric vehicles – despite England missing the motorway charge point target
- A new study reveals which cities in the UK are the most in line with government guidelines for zero emissions in 2035
- The findings follow an analysis of electric charging points nationwide, looking at the number of vehicles per electric charger
- Other parts of the UK could learn from London, as the RAC revealed that England has missed the target for the number of high-powered EV chargers near motorways
A new study has revealed the cities most prepared for the government zero emission plans of 2035, with London having the third most EV chargers per 100K registered vehicles.
The research conducted by motor trade insurance experts One Sure Insurance analyzed the number of EV chargers available within each city, and the number of vehicles registered, to identify which cities are the closest to meeting government guidelines.
The government has announced that manufacturers of new zero-emission cars will be required to increase their production by a certain percentage each year until 2035. By the year 2030, 80% of all new cars sold will need to be electric.
These new regulations will require cities and towns to prepare for an increase in demand for electric charging stations – with the government stipulating that every motorway service station in England should have at least six rapid or ultra-rapid chargers by the end of 2023.
However, it turns out that England has missed this target, according to the RAC via Zapmap, with just 46 of 119 analysed sites having six high-powered charging facilities in place. But some parts of the UK are still accommodating for EV drivers when it comes to the number of chargers available in each city.
London is revealed as the third most prepared city, with 353 electric charging points available per 100k vehicles. The city also has the highest percentage of electric vehicles, with almost 4% of vehicles registered as EVs – although this is still far from the number the government aims to achieve.
The study also found that Croydon is the second most-accommodating city for EV drivers, with 3,083 chargers. In total, Croydon has 2.1K electric charges per 100K vehicles.
Sutton has the highest number of electric charging stations per registered vehicle. With 2,861 charging stations in Sutton and 89K registered EVs, there are currently 3.1K chargers available per 100K cars. Although more charging stations are needed, Sutton is leading the way for sustainable driving.
The study revealed that Coventry ranks fourth just behind London, with 351 charging points available for every 100K vehicles. Edinburgh is the fifth most prepared city in the UK, with 263 points available for every 100K cars.
Cities with the most EV charging points per registered vehicle
- Sutton
- Croydon
- London
- Coventry
- Edinburgh
- Liverpool
- Oxford
- Birkenhead
- Brighton
- St Albans
Hereford has been named the least prepared city for a move towards a greener future. The city only has eight electric charging points per 100,000 vehicles.
The second worst city for electric charging points is Derry, with only nine charging points in the city – however overall, it has 11 charging points per 100K registered vehicles. The third and fourth worst cities in the UK for charging points were Inverness and Northampton.
Cities with the fewest EV charging points per registered vehicle
- Hereford
- Derry
- Inverness
- Northampton
- Doncaster
- Chelmsford
- Chester
- Wrexham
- Sheffield
- Leeds
Speaking on the findings, an expert from One Sure Insurance advised, “When considering switching to an electric vehicle, it’s not just the availability of public charging points that you need to think about, but also how you will charge your EV from home.
This is especially important for drivers who don’t have parking spaces available at home. For those who must use public EV charging stations, it’s vital for the city they live in to have enough charging points for both local drivers and tourists visiting The availability of charging stations is a significant factor that drivers consider when deciding whether to switch to an electric vehicle.
“If cities are not properly prepared for an influx of electric vehicles, many drivers will not make the switch. With the added cost of electricity set to rise again in January, the government needs to work harder to make electric vehicles a viable option for car owners.”
