A stark regional divide in the availability of electric vehicle chargers risks making the transition to electric cars "impossible" for millions of UK drivers, new analysis has revealed.
The Scale of the Charging Divide
The data, analysed by Electrifying.com, exposes a profound postcode lottery in public charging infrastructure. Ginny Buckley, chief executive of the firm, stated the disparity's scale was "impossible to ignore". She highlighted that while Coventry boasts over 750 chargers per 100,000 people, every one of the so-called Northern Five areas has fewer than 100. Westminster leads the nation with more than 1,300 chargers per 100,000 residents.
"Not a single area in the top ten is in the North of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland," Buckley emphasised, underscoring the clear geographical imbalance.
Calls for a National Strategy
Buckley warned that without significant changes, switching to an electric vehicle would remain an unattainable goal for many. "We urgently need a joined-up, national approach that gives local authorities the guidance, expertise and confidence to install the right chargers in the right places," she argued.
Echoing this sentiment, John Lewis, CEO of charging network char.gy, pointed to Coventry as a prime example of a council successfully taking charge of its own rollout by working with capable partners. "Many other areas want to deliver the same, but they're held back by a variety of factors, such as planning and grid capacity," he explained.
Lewis stressed that while funding is important, it alone cannot solve these fundamental bottlenecks. "If we want to end the postcode lottery, we need to give every council what Coventry already has: the confidence and capacity to get chargers in the ground quickly and in the right places."
Driver Concerns Over Practicality
The infrastructure gap is feeding into significant practical concerns among motorists. One driver voiced worries about the broader energy supply, referencing warnings of potential winter blackouts. "Solar panels don't produce as much electricity in our winters," they noted, having installed panels primarily to power an air source heat pump.
The challenge of charging multiple vehicles in a single household was also raised as a key barrier. "A family with a couple of adult children living at home and two parents still in work could potentially need to charge 4 cars each week," the driver said, concluding that a hybrid vehicle currently offers more reassurance for reliable commuting.
The analysis presents a clear challenge for the UK's 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, suggesting that without a rapid and equitable expansion of charging infrastructure, a significant portion of the driving public will be unable to participate in the electric revolution.
