We analysed number of cars per charging station across the UK to reveal the most powered-up cities for electric car commuters.
Around 7 in 10 people travel to work by car, but commuting in 2022 compared to even five years ago has changed dramatically due to the swift rise of electric vehicles. Around 120,000 were sold worldwide in 2012. Last year the figure jumped to 16.5 million, and infrastructure has had to pick up the pace rapidly.
Greater London is the best region in the UK for electric car owners
Today, most people charge their cars either at home or at work. To find out more, we analysed electric car to charging station ratios nationwide to find out where you’ll find the best infrastructure for your electric vehicle.
The five regions of the UK with the lowest number of electric cars per charging station are:
| Region | Electric cars per charging station |
| Greater London | 10 |
| North East | 11 |
| Wales | 13 |
| Scotland | 14 |
| West Midlands | 22 |
With 79,876 electric or ultra-low emission cars and 7,865 publicly available charging points, the capital has the best infrastructure for drivers who commute with an electric vehicle.
Greater Manchester has a notable lack of EV infrastructure by comparison. With 120 cars per charging station, it is the worst part of the country for EV drivers looking to use public charging points. The next on the list is the South West, with 46 cars per charging point by comparison.
Coventry powers ahead of the pack
The story changes significantly when we break the data down into particular cities. Greater London’s top spot in the regional rankings is replaced by many cities in the East and West Midlands:
| Area | Electric cars per charging station |
| Coventry | 3 |
| Brighton | 4 |
| Lincoln | 5 |
| Nottingham | 7 |
| Liverpool | 7 |
| Newcastle | 9 |
| Southampton | 10 |
| Ipswich | 11 |
| Salford | 11 |
| Hull | 11 |
| Manchester | 12 |
| York | 13 |
| Rotherham | 13 |
| Warrington | 15 |
| Bradford | 18 |
| Bristol | 19 |
| Birmingham | 20 |
| Oldham | 21 |
| Leicester | 22 |
| Wigan | 25 |
The disparity in the city and regional rankings suggests a contrast. London’s boroughs consistently cater well for electric vehicle charging. At the same time, elsewhere in the country, areas beyond the inner cities are not supported by EV infrastructure.
It is also notable how many fewer electric vehicles there are once you leave the capital. While Coventry’s car to charging station ratio is strong, there are only 1,616 electric or ultra-low emission vehicles across the whole city. By contrast, London boroughs like Hillingdon, Ealing and Barnet all have nearly 5,000 each. Barking and Dagenham, the London borough with the least electric cars, still has 1,133 vehicles, which is almost as many as Manchester (1,454), Brighton (1,332) and Nottingham (1,274).
The best London boroughs for commuting with an electric vehicle
For those commuting in London with an electric vehicle, it’s essential to know that you’ll be able to charge your car at work. Overall, Inner London has much better provision for EV charging than Outer London, with 4,943 charging devices compared to 2,922.
The boroughs with the highest concentration of charging devices per vehicle are:
| Borough | Electric cars per charging station |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 4 |
| Westminster | 4 |
| Southwark | 5 |
| Wandsworth | 6 |
| Hounslow | 6 |
The five boroughs with the lowest concentration are, unsurprisingly, five of the least central boroughs:
| Borough | Electric cars per charging station |
| Havering | 58 |
| Harrow | 41 |
| Bromley | 30 |
| Hillingdon | 26 |
| Bexley | 25 |
Electric vehicle charging at work
Given how many people are now investing in EVs, employers need to ask how they can accommodate those making environmentally conscious decisions at work.
It’s still uncommon for offices to have electric vehicle charging stations freely available for employee use, but investing in technology could be beneficial for a variety of reasons:
- Benefits are increasingly important when considering where to work. Offering charging points for electric vehicle users could be an effective way of attracting new talent and signposting to potential candidates that you’re an environmentally conscious business.
- Offering paid charging stations could be a valuable source of revenue and boost your company’s reputation as a facilitator for carbon-zero technology.
- Providing EV charging stations could encourage more of your team to consider going electric.
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