THE UK REGIONS LEAST SUITABLE FOR EV DRIVERS

In a new study conducted by Howden Insurance, Welsh County, Powys has been identified as the least accessible local authority in the UK to own an electric car. Utilising data from GOV.UK, the study evaluates the accessibility of electric vehicle ownership across UK local authorities. By examining the density of 50kW charging devices per 100 miles of road, it identifies the least accommodating areas. Without access to rapid chargers, many drivers may be deterred from switching to an eco-friendly electric vehicle, as they're concerned about the logistics of doing so. At the bottom of the list is Welsh county Powys, offering just 15 rapid chargers over 3321.4 miles of road, resulting in a small density of 0.45 50kW rapid charging points per 100 miles. Another Welsh spot finds itself at the bottom of the list as Conwy ranks just before Powys at 201, with an average of 0.49 rapid chargers per 100 miles of road. Scottish council area, Aberdeenshire ranks third to last, with an average of 0.57 50kW chargers per 100 miles of road. Coming in as the fourth region that is least likely to switch to an EV are the Scottish Borders, where there are just 0.69 rapid chargers per 100 miles of road. In fifth to last spot is the Shetland Islands, where on average, there are 0.78 rapid EV chargers per 100 miles of road. On the other end of the ranking is Hammersmith and Fulham, taking the lead with an average of 53 rapid chargers across 136.6 miles of road, resulting in a density of 38.80 rapid chargers per 100 miles. Westminster ranks as the second most convenient spot to charge an electric vehicle, averaging at 36.43 50kW charging devices per 100 miles of road. Slough ranks as the third most time-sensitive location for charging electric cars, offering an average of 27.8 50kW chargers within a 100-mile radius. The fourth spot for charging an electric car in the timeliest manner is Greenwich, with an average of 18.02 rapid chargers per 100 miles of road. This is more than 20 fewer available rapid chargers than Hammersmith and Fulham's infrastructure. Taking fifth spot is Islington, at 17.69 50kW chargers per 100 miles, just over two times fewer than seen in Westminster. As well as identifying the areas with the least availability of rapid chargers, the study also considers where has the least chargers generally per 100 miles of road, regardless of speed. The Powys authority still ranks at the bottom for both 50-kW charger availability and overall electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with an average of 3.34 charging points across all speeds within a 100-mile radius. The County of Herefordshire secures the second to last position in the ranking, with an average of 4 electric vehicle charging points per 100 miles. In Neath Port Talbot, there is an average of 4.03 charging points per 100 miles of road, finding itself in third to last position when all speeds are considered. In fourth place for least general chargers available is also the Scottish Borders, with an average of 4.05 electric car chargers per 100 miles. The Wirral is in fifth to last spot with an average of 4.10 charging points within a 100-mile radius. Similarly to the rapid charging points statistics, Hammersmith and Fulham claims the top spot for charging points across all speeds, with an average of 1841.87 chargers per 100 miles of road.