GOVERNMENT data has revealed that Ards and North Down in County Down is one of the worst places to own an electric vehicle, according to the government’s Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure Statistics for January 2024, analysed by renewable energy equipment supplier, Cotswold Energy Group.
The Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, is the worst place to own an electric vehicle, with the least number of public electric vehicle chargers in the UK, according to the government’s Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure Statistics for January 2024, analysed by renewable energy equipment supplier, Cotswold Energy Group.
While it may not come as a surprise due to the limited road network across the islands, the data highlighted that The Isles of Scilly has no public EV charging stations at all, which is bad news for the 43 EV owners in the area and anyone else who wants to live greener and make the switch to electric.
Castle Point in Essex came a close second, with just over 3 public chargers for every 100,000 people, while Fenland in Cambridgeshire came third with just over 10 public EV chargers per 100,000.
The North-West came off as the worst region for having an EV, as four areas from the region were named in the top 10 list. According to government data, the average number of public EV chargers in the North West is 33 per 100,000 people. Factoring in all areas of the UK, the average number of public chargers is 60 per 100,000 of the population.
Northern Ireland also featured in the top 10 worst areas list, with Ards and North Down in County Down providing just 13 public EV chargers per 100,000 people.
At the beginning of the year, the number of electric vehicles sold in the UK passed the 1 million milestone, with EVs accounting for one in six (15%) of all vehicles sold in January 2024.
As car and commercial vehicle manufacturers continue to develop battery technology and bring more EV models to the market, we’ll likely see more drivers choosing to switch to an electric vehicle as traditional fuels are gradually phased out.
Alongside the government’s proposals to ensure that 100% of all new cars sold in the UK will be zero-emission vehicles by the end of 2035, it’s clear from the latest EV public charging data that the infrastructure in some areas of the country is lagging behind.
When it comes to the areas with the highest number of public EV chargers, nine areas in the top 10 places with the highest number of public EV charging points per 100,000 people are in London.
But focusing on the areas outside of the capital, Coventry took the top spot, with 391 chargers per 100,000 people. Impressively, the Orkney Islands and East Lothian – both in the Northern Isles of Scotland – ranked second and fourth, with 230 and 219 chargers per 100,000 respectively.
Further to this, Scotland dominates the top 10 places outside London with the most public EV chargers per 100,000 population, with five – including the Outer Hebrides, Stirling and Dumfries & Galloway – out of ten spots in the list, suggesting that Scotland is leading the way in EV infrastructure development.
Wales also makes its mark on the top 10, with two representatives from its Western region. Ceredigion takes the eighth spot with a noteworthy 175.5 chargers per 100,000, while Pembrokeshire falls at 10th position, boasting 161.7 chargers per 100,000, pointing to a promising development of EV infrastructure in the western part of Wales.
