Motors: Worst UK areas to live in if you’re a hybrid or EV driver

Motors: Worst UK areas to live in if you’re a hybrid or EV driver 

• New research by esure reveals the top 10 UK areas best and worst prepared for an EV (Electrical Vehicle) future
• London is revealed as the area most ready for an EV future with four cars per charger
• Stockport town is the worst prepared with almost 450 cars competing for each available charger

The ban on sales of petrol and diesel cars from 2030 may have non-EV drivers starting to think about changing soon, but are the cities and towns of the UK ready and have the necessary infrastructure in place?

New research by esure,¹ reveals which areas in the UK are the best, and worst, prepared for an EV future based on the number of hybrid/electric vehicles and available charging points per area.

According to the research, the top 10 places in the UK most ready for an EV future are as follows:

¹Volume of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles registered in 2021 gathered via FOI request from the DVLA, data correct as of 21/02/2022.
Chargepoint data was gathered via GOV and API call, data correct as of 28/01/2022. To determine the number of cars per charger, the volume of EV and hybrid ownership per area was divided by the number of chargers available in each area.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, London comes out on top as the best prepared with only 4.1 cars per charger, meaning you won’t face much competition should you find yourself on low battery all of a sudden.

Representing the north is Sunderland which follows closely behind in spot number two with just 4.7 cars per charger and Scotland’s Kirkwall makes an appearance in third with 7.2 cars per charger. It would appear the North East is leading the way for an EV future with four cities making the top 10   including both Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Durham taking the fourth and fifth positions with 8.4 and 10.7 cars per charger respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 is Dumfries (11.6), Brighton (11.8), Manchester (12.2), and last but not least is Nottingham in the tenth spot with a respectable 13.6 cars per charger.

But where in the UK is the worst prepared?

On the other end of the scale are the likes of Stockport where you might be waiting a while for an available charger given that there are 448.3 EV and hybrid cars on the road per charger.

Meanwhile, Swindon’s EV charging infrastructure means that 291.8 EV and hybrid cars will have to compete in order to find a charger and Slough is not much better with 244.7.

Commenting on the research, Neil Dwyer at esure, says:

“As EV sales continue to rise and the UK becomes more eco-conscious, we wanted to see which areas are already getting ready for an EV future.

“As indicated within our research, it’s crucial that some of these locations invest in their EV infrastructure in order to ensure a smooth transition for those on the road before the end of the decade. However, regardless of where you live, if you’re driving an EV or planning on doing so anytime soon, it’s important to make sure you’re properly covered and have the appropriate insurance in place should any problems arise.”

To find out more about the research, including more areas that aren’t ready for an EV future, please visit: https://www.esure.com/the-uk-electric-vehicle-revolution

ENDS

Methodology:

1. Volume of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles registered in 2021 gathered via FOI request from the DVLA, data correct as of 21/02/2022.
   Chargepoint data was gathered via GOV and API call, data correct as of 28/01/2022.
   To determine the number of cars per charger, the volume of EV and hybrid ownership per area was divided by the number of chargers available in each area.

About esure:

esure Group was founded in 2000 and now provides Defaqto 5 Star rated Car & Home insurance to over 2.4million customers – September, 2021.

esure also provides customers with multicar, electric vehicle and travel insurance.

To find out how esure can help you with your insurance needs, visit: https://www.esure.com/