Study shows major north-south divide in access to EV charging points

As the government prepares to unveil new funding for on-street EV charging, new data from Electrifying.com highlights the growing gap in access to public chargers – with London And the South is moving forward rapidly, yet much Answer Has been left inactive.

Data show what experts are calling “charging” postcode lotteryDrivers in the capital and surrounding areas now enjoy the UK’s densest charging network. But millions elsewhere struggle with limited and unreliable infrastructure — a divide that threatens to stall the country’s transition to electric vehicles.

According to the analysis, the North’s five largest cities – Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield – have a combined population of 2.7 million, but only 2,485 public chargers between them. Quite the contrary, coventry The city – a city of just 350,000 residents – has 2,578 chargers, meaning it outperforms all five northern cities combined.

London’s Westminster tops the national table with 2,746 chargers – more than Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle – while the entire top ten charging hotspots are in London and the south.

“The scale of inequality is impossible to ignore,” said Ginny Buckley, chief executive of Electrifying.com. “Coventry has more than 750 chargers per 100,000 people, the Northern Five each have less than 100, and Westminster tops the chart with more than 1,300 per 100,000 people. Not a single region in the top ten is in the North, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Buckley added, “It’s not about geography – it’s about continuity.” “Some councils are innovating with charging streets and road solutions, while other plans can’t get off the ground. We urgently need a joint, national approach that gives local authorities the guidance, expertise and confidence to install the right chargers in the right places. Without this, the EV transition will be difficult for some – and impossible for others.”

Coventry is held up as a rare success story. The city’s collaborative, focused strategy to introduce public chargers has helped it provide the most extensive and reliable network in the country. Its success is based on clear local leadership and partnerships with experienced charging providers.

But even where chargers are present, confidence among drivers remains low. A survey of more than 11,000 UK motorists conducted by Electrifying.com and the AA found that 60 per cent believe the public charging infrastructure is unreliable, while only six per cent believe there are enough public chargers available across the UK.

John Lewis, CEO of charging provider char.gy, said: “Coventry is proof that rapid rollout is not just a London story – it happens when a council has the clarity, capacity and committed partners. Many other areas want to do the same, but are held back due to a number of factors such as planning and grid capacity.

“Funding matters, but it doesn’t fix these barriers. If we want to end the postcode lottery, we need to give every council what Coventry already has: the confidence and ability to get chargers on the ground quickly and in the right places.”

The findings come as ministers prepare to announce increased financial support for local charging projects, but experts have warned that money alone will not solve the problem. Electrifying.com argues that national co-ordination and a clear policy framework is needed to ensure consistent delivery across the UK.

It says the danger is to create a two-tier electric future – one where Londoners and southern drivers can charge easily and affordably, while northern and rural areas lack reliable access to electricity.

For now, Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea continue to lead the way, while much of the North is at risk of being slowly left out.