EV readiness: Best and worst places in the UK to own an EV, new data reveals
The 10 Most Incentivised UK Towns and Cities for EV Ownership
| Rank | Town / City | Number of People per Charger | Average Power Output of EV Chargers (kW)* | Estimated Charging Time | % Of Free EV Charging Points | EV Readiness Score (/10) |
| 1 | Dudley | 2,398 | 40 | 2 hours 29 minutes | 98% | 8.13 |
| 2 | Nottingham | 1,135 | 20 | 4 hours 34 minutes | 98% | 7.87 |
| 3 | Slough | 2,824 | 56 | 3 hours 15 minutes | 95% | 7.70 |
| 4 | York | 818 | 41 | 3 hours 38 minutes | 89% | 7.67 |
| 5 | Bedford | 677 | 18 | 4 hours 49 minutes | 98% | 7.53 |
| =6 | Dundee | 1,507 | 22 | 2 hours 47 minutes | 95% | 7.33 |
| =6 | Derby | 1,258 | 30 | 3 hours 39 minutes | 96% | 7.33 |
| 8 | Milton Keynes | 497 | 20 | 4 hours 21 minutes | 97% | 7.22 |
| 9 | Basildon | 9,657 | 83 | 3 hours 32 minutes | 93% | 7.16 |
| 10 | Peterborough | 3,713 | 56 | 3 hours 27 minutes | 86% | 6.99 |
*More densely populated areas such as London are less likely to have high output chargers due to infrastructure challenges. More remote areas are more likely to have the newest infrastructure and chargers. Please see the full dataset here.
Dudley is the best town in the UK to switch to electric, with a final EV readiness score of 8.13 out of ten. Whilst it may only have 83 EV chargers (2,398 people per charger), 98% of those are free to use, helping residents save money on charging costs. The charging points in the town are also amongst the fastest in the UK on average (2 hours 29 minutes) – proving cost and speed a large selling point for Dudley’s EV infrastructure.
In second place is Nottingham, with a final score of 7.87 out of ten. Despite lengthy average charging times for EVs, the city is amongst the top 10 in the UK for charger availability (1,135 people per charger). Not only that, but people living in Nottingham can also enjoy an impressive 98% of free charging points.
Slough’s average power output of chargers, and over one hour quicker charging time than Nottingham places it as the third best city for EV ownership. The high percentage of free charging points distribution (95%) also makes up for its disappointing spread of charger availability (2,824 per charger).
The 10 Least Incentivised UK Areas for EV Ownership
| Rank | City/Town | Number of People per Charger | Average Power Output of EV Chargers (kW) | Estimated Charging Time | % Of Free EV Charging Points | EV Readiness Score (/10) |
| 1 | Blackpool | 17,101 | 20 | 3 hours 21 minutes | 64% | 1.81 |
| 2 | Huddersfield | 9,934 | 26 | 2 hours 20 minutes | 20% | 1.98 |
| 3 | Middlesbrough | 3,036 | 16 | 4 hours 36 minutes | 21% | 2.01 |
| 4 | Hastings | 14,825 | 37 | 2 hours 0 minutes | 11% | 2.13 |
| 5 | Burton Upon Trent | 24,440 | 22 | 3 hours 10 minutes | 40% | 2.30 |
| 6 | Sheffield | 6,174 | 22 | 2 hours 37 minutes | 30% | 2.42 |
| 7 | Burnley | 4,269 | 20 | 4 hours 7 minutes | 51% | 2.47 |
| 8 | West Bromwich | 15,069 | 7 | 5 hours 43 minutes | 22% | 2.61 |
| 9 | Bradford | 3,789 | 22 | 2 hours 58 minutes | 33% | 2.70 |
| 10 | Woking | 1,792 | 12 | 4 hours 37 minutes | 38% | 2.85 |
Overall, Blackpool is the town most struggling to encourage the public to change to electric, with an EV readiness score of only 1.81 out of ten. The Lancashire seaside town has just 14 charging points available, equating to more than 17,000 residents per charger.
Despite the hurdles, drivers in Blackpool have waits of 3 hours and 21 minutes to charge their electric vehicles – 33 minutes less than those in nearby Preston, where the charging time averages 3 hours and 54 minutes.
Huddersfield placed second worst within the rankings thanks to an EV readiness score of just 1.98 out of ten. Charging time is significantly lower in the Yorkshire town (2 hours 20 minutes), which can be attractive for those looking to switch to an EV. However, there are nearly 10,000 residents per EV charger (15), but, more discouragingly, just 20% of these offer free charging.
Middlesbrough’s high waiting times for EV charging (4 hours 36 minutes) places it as the third most struggling to encourage the public to change to electric. Also contributing to its low EV readiness score of 2.01 out of ten is the low percentage of free charging points on offer (21%).
Across the 88 towns and cities analysed, on average 70% of charging points are free.
Huddersfield is also the third worst area for access to free charging, beaten only by Hastings (11%) and Liverpool (19%).
EV vs Combustion Engine: Which is Cheaper to Insure?
| Electric | Combustion | ||||
| Model | UK Price Range £ | Quote Price | Model | Price Range (£) | Quote Price |
| Nissan Leaf | From 28,495 | £967 | Mini Cooper | From 22,935 | £922 |
| Renault Zoe | From 29,995 | £808 | 500 Lounge | From 16,790 | £841 |
| Mg Zs Electric | From 30,495 | £1,126 | Focus Zetec TDCI | From 29,650 | £987 |
| Mg 4 Electric | From 26,995 | £1,227 | Astra SRI | From 29,160 | £807 |
| Hyundai Ioniq Electric | From 30,750 | £1,275 | Corsa SE | From 19,625 | £796 |
Please note: Each set of cars is ordered by total number of registrations in Q3 2023, from most to least.
To help those considering switching to an electric vehicle, Independent Advisor Car Insurance compared insurance quotes for the five most popular electric and combustion cars by registration (Q3 2023).
Despite starting prices for these popular electric vehicles being higher, it is possible to get car insurance that costs roughly the same as a similarly popular combustion car. However, at the top end electric car insurance does start to creep up, with the most expensive EV quote almost £300 higher than the costliest combustion quote.
Connor Campbell, expert at Independent Advisor Car Insurance, provides his tips for saving on insurance for electric vehicles:
“Electric cars are more expensive to insure because they’re more expensive to buy. However, as they become more popular, EV prices will become more competitive, which should then bring down the cost of car insurance. For example, our findings show that the most popular electric cars receive comparable quotes to their combustion counterparts.
“If you’re considering making the switch to an electric car, there are steps you can take to save on insurance:
- Consider your driving habits: If you’re only using an electric vehicle for short trips and not for frequent long drives, you might not need a long-drive range model. This can help you choose a cheaper model, consequently helping you to save on insurance.
- Research for the best prices: Shop around, look out for the best deals and compare prices when choosing your electric vehicle. Comparing car insurance premiums is a tricky business, which is why car insurance calculators can help.
- Consider pay-per-mile insurance: If you’re using your electric vehicle only for short trips, paying for the miles you drive can result in significant savings.
- Keep a good driving record: Insurers see you as a low-risk driver if you keep your driving record clean, and practice safe driving habits such as looking out for speed limits, safe cornering, avoiding hard braking and mobile phone usage while driving.
- Build up your no-claims bonus: sometimes it’ll work out cheaper to pay for a small repair, than to make a claim that could reduce your no-claims discount.
- Look for incentives: EV charging availability and free charging points, like this study has shown, can positively impact the price you pay to maintain your EV.”
