Best and worst UK towns for electric vehicle charging

A recent analysis of Government data by Bonnet, an EV charging app, has revealed the best and worst towns in the UK to find an EV charger. Coventry was ranked as the best town, while Castle Point in South Essex was identified as the worst.

Bonnet used the latest statistics from the Department for Transport to determine the rankings, considering the number of charging points per 100,000 people. According to the data, the top areas for public charging included York, Dundee, and Brighton. The Orkney Islands, known for its small population and dedicated Electric Vehicle Strategy, also had a high number of chargers per person.

On the other hand, locations with the least number of chargers per 100,000 people included Bury, Bolton, and regions in Northern Ireland.

The analysis also revealed that the number of EV charging points has increased by 5,200, or 12%, compared to July 1, 2023. The Government has set a target of having 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030, although the deadline for all new cars to be electric has been pushed back to 2035.

Here are the top 15 regions and towns for EV charging as of October 2023:

- Coventry, England: 383.9 charge points per 100,000 people

- Watford, England: 246.0

- Orkney Islands, Scotland: 230.7

- London (Inner and Outer), England: 192.8

- Na h-Eileanan Siar (Outer Hebrides), Scotland: 180.2

- Milton Keynes, England: 178.7

- Stirling, Scotland: 176.5

- East Lothian, Scotland: 176.1

- Ceredigion, Wales: 175.5

- Brighton and Hove, England: 156.3

- Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland: 155.9

- Shetland Islands, Scotland: 152.6

- Welwyn Hatfield, England: 152.3

- Pembrokeshire, Wales: 148.8

- Solihull, England: 147.7

And here are the worst 15 regions and towns for EV charging:

- Castle Point, England: 3.3 charge points per 100,000 people

- Wirral, England: 9.7

- Fenland, England: 10.7

- Staffordshire Moorlands, England: 12.5

- Bury, England: 13.9

- Sandwell, England: 14.0

- Walsall, England: 14.1

- Tameside, England: 14.3

- Sefton, England: 14.3

- North Kesteven, England: 14.3

- Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland: 14.6

- Bolton, England: 15.2

- Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland: 15.4

- Neath Port Talbot, Wales: 15.5

- Dacorum, England: 16.1

Patrick Reich, CEO and co-founder of Bonnet, acknowledged the importance of public charging for EV drivers and highlighted the progress made by charging networks in installing more chargers. However, he also emphasized the need for further improvements to ensure reliable access to public chargers across the country.