Plug-in vehicles: which places are seeing the slowest growth?

July 10, 2024 by Iain Reid

In 2035, (or maybe as soon as 2030 under the new government) the UK will undergo one of the biggest motoring changes in recent history, as the ban on selling new petrol and diesel vehicles comes into force. It’s been controversial to say the least, but it’s at least pushing the country towards greener transport, with plug-in vehicles and chargers becoming increasingly common sights in the UK.

Accelerating uptake of plug-in vehicles (that is, all types of low emission cars, including hybrids and battery electric vehicles) and new charger installations will be key to the ban going ahead smoothly. So, as the deadline draws nearer, how are things shaping up across the country?

Which places are lagging behind the most when it comes to growth in plug-in vehicles and public chargers, and what do the country’s drivers think should be done to push this even further? To find out, we’ve looked at official figures from the DVLA and Zap-Map, and have run a survey to get motorists’ opinions.

Which places are showing the slowest growth in plug-in vehicles?

According to our analysis of DVLA data, the remote islands up in Scotland are seeing the UK’s slowest growth in plug-in vehicles. The Orkney Islands have seen the least growth of anywhere else over the last five years, with numbers here rising by just 133%, while the Shetlands have seen growth of 357% – the UK’s third lowest increase.

Northern Ireland is also lagging behind on plug-in vehicle growth. Multiple parts of the country fall in the UK’s bottom 10, including the areas of Antrim and Newtownabbey (404%); Mid and East Antrim (423%); and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (455%).

This is being reflected on a national level, too. Northern Ireland has seen a 530% rise in plug-in vehicles over the last five years. Although this is a positive step, it’s still the least of any other UK country, and is far behind the UK average of 631%.

The 10 areas with the least growth in EV numbers can be found below:

Orkney Islands – 133%
Blackpool – 303%
Shetland Islands – 357%
Antrim and Newtownabbey – 404%
Causeway Coast and Glens – 416%
Gloucestershire – 422%
Mid and East Antrim – 423%
Milton Keynes – 444%
Dundee City – 453%
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon – 455%

At the other end of the scale, Stockton-on-Tees in North East England is seeing the UK’s largest growth in plug-in vehicles. The number here has risen by close to 1,000% in the last five years.

Other places seeing huge growth in plug-in vehicles include the areas of North Lanarkshire and Falkirk in Scotland, where there were increases of 970% and 941% respectively. Other parts of Scotland made it into the top 10, too, including Glasgow City (919%), Renfrewshire (885%) and East Dunbartonshire (873%). The full list can be found below:

Stockton-on-Tees – 988%
North Lanarkshire – 970%
Falkirk – 941%
Thurrock – 934%
Glasgow City – 919%
Renfrewshire – 885%
Luton – 881%
East Dunbartonshire – 873%
Moray – 868%
Slough – 856%

Battery electric vehicles (EVs) have been the driving force behind this growth, with EV numbers rising more than any other type of plug-in vehicle over the past five years. EV figures have increased by 827% in the UK, compared to a 530% rise in petrol hybrids and a 631% increase in diesel hybrids. Stockton saw a 1,295% increase in EVs, although North Lincolnshire saw the biggest rise in the UK at 1,415%.

Again, multiple parts of Scotland ranked in the top 10 for EV growth, including Moray (1,352%), North Lanarkshire (1,301%) and West Dunbartonshire (1,291%). The Orkney Islands (97%), as well as Blackpool (220%) and several parts of Northern Ireland once again ranked among the slowest growing.

Where is surging ahead on new charger installation?

Plug-in vehicles aren’t the only things on the rise: there’s also been a big increase in the chargers used to keep them running. This is especially true in Leicester. The area has seen a 2,100% rise in public rapid chargers over the past four years, a higher increase than anywhere else in the UK. Powys in Wales saw a similar level of growth at 2,000%.^[2]

The rise has actually been particularly high in Wales. Five parts of the country ranked in the top 10 for charger growth over the past four years, including Pembrokeshire (1,800%), Swansea (1,300%), Neath Port Talbot (1,300%) and Carmarthenshire (1,067%). If you’re looking to take a staycation this summer and want somewhere you’ll be able to charge your car, a trip to Wales might be the way to go.

The full top 10 can be found below:

Leicester – 2,100%
Powys – 2,000%
Brighton and Hove – 1,800%
Pembrokeshire – 1,800%
Causeway Coast and Glens – 1,400%
Swansea – 1,300%
Neath Port Talbot – 1,300%
Carmarthenshire – 1,067%
Blackburn with Darwen – 1,000%
Stoke-on-Trent – 1,000%

Some places, though, have seen very little growth over the past four years, particularly in Scotland. Out of the 10 places with the smallest growth, seven were located in Scotland. East Ayrshire saw the least overall at just 31%, while the Outer Hebrides rose by 38%. Dundee City (46%), Stirling (53%), Argyll & Bute (69%) and the Scottish Borders (69%) also placed in the bottom 10.

The Orkney Islands saw the tenth slowest growth in chargers (83%), which could mean that the stitled growth in plug-in vehicles here is due to worries about the lack of chargers among the area’s drivers. Gloucestershire, Wokingham and Warrington were the only English places to land in the bottom 10, maybe indicating that investment in new charger installation needs to be stretched further afield.

The 10 areas with the smallest growth in public rapid chargers over the last four years are:

East Ayrshire – 31%
Outer Hebrides – 38%
Dundee City – 46%
Stirling – 53%
Gloucestershire – 56%
Wokingham – 58%
Argyll & Bute – 69%
Scottish Borders – 69%
Warrington – 83%
Orkney Islands – 83%

How is this impacting charger availability?

One reason charger growth is so slow in Dundee City and the Outer Hebrides may be that there’s already a good number of chargers for the amount of EVs in each area. Dundee City actually has the best ratio of plug-in vehicles per charger in the UK, with one charger for every 16.42 plug-in vehicles in the area. The Outer Hebrides also made the top 10, with a ratio of 20.86 vehicles per charger. ^[3]

Other Scottish areas ranked in the top 10, too, including, the Highlands, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Although, other Scottish regions with low charger growth, including East Ayrshire, Stirling, Argyll & Bute and the Scottish Borders, still didn’t rank highly when it came to availability. So, it’s likely that these areas still need to see an increase in new chargers.

The 10 areas with the least plug-in vehicles per charger can be found below:

Dundee City – 16.42
Highland – 17.46
Nottingham – 19.14
Denbighshire – 19.91
West Dunbartonshire – 20.78
Outer Hebrides – 20.86
Ceredigion – 21.84
Kingston upon Hull – 22.55
North Lanarkshire – 24.42
Dumfries and Galloway – 24.88

Meanwhile, Bracknell Forest (619.33) and East Dunbartonshire (525.33) have the highest number of plug-in vehicles per charger in the UK. This highlights a need for an increase in new installations in these areas.

Despite seeing the largest growth in new chargers over the past four years, Leicester still ranked in the bottom 10 when it comes to availability, where 285.6 plug-in vehicles share each public rapid charger. Clearly, while the last few years have been a step in the right direction, continued investment will be required in this area.

The 10 areas with most plug-in vehicles per charger can be found below:

Bracknell Forest – 619.33
East Dunbartonshire – 525.33
Windsor and Maidenhead – 516.33
Newry, Mourne and Down – 359.5
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon – 303.67
Lisburn and Castlereagh – 287
Leicester – 285.6
Buckinghamshire – 246.89
Medway – 243.67
Central Bedfordshire – 226.84

How should the government incentivise EV uptake?

The increase in EVs and chargers over the past four years makes for good reading, but realistically, there needs to be even more growth if the UK is to be ready for the start of the ban. What will the government have to do to make sure the country’s infrastructure is properly prepared for a nation of EV drivers? According to drivers, more incentives will be required in order to increase uptake.

In our latest survey, over half (59%) of respondents said that the government should provide more financial incentives to buy an EV. Of those who said this, grants to reduce EV and home charger costs were the main incentives they felt should be introduced. These were picked by around 93% and 91% respectively.^[4]

Around 81% said that there should be a reduced VAT percentage on public EV charging, while roughly two thirds (67%) even said that EVs should be provided with cheaper parking. Around 42% felt that all four of these incentives should be provided.

Only a quarter (24%) said that the UK government shouldn’t have to provide more financial incentives for EVs. The majority of those who felt this way said that paying for an EV should be down to the owner rather than the taxpayer (60%) while around a third (36%) felt that it should be the manufacturer who provides the perks.

About the data

^[1]The growth in plug-in vehicles and electric cars across the UK was calculated using DVLA and DfT data. We took the number of private plug-in vehicles and battery electric vehicles in each county/district and unitary authority in Q4 2023. We then took the same figures from Q4 2018 and calculated the percentage change in each area.

^[2] The growth in public rapid chargers across the UK was calculated using Zap-Map data. We took the number of publicly available electric vehicle rapid chargers in each local authority area in April 2024. We then took the same figures from April 2020 and calculated the percentage change in each area.

^[3] Charger availability was calculated using a combination of Zap-Map, DVLA and DfT data. We divided the number of private plug-in vehicles in each county/unitary authority in Q4 of 2023 by the number of public rapid chargers in the same areas in October 2023. This gave the total number of plug-in vehicles per charger in each area.

^[4] Public opinion on EV incentives was collected by surveying 2,000 UK adults via YouGov. The survey ran on 29 March 2024 and respondents were selected at random.