Planning Your Perfect UK Road Trip as an EV Owner

Date icon 09/08/2024 Read time icon 8 minutes read

With the expansion of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and London’s Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming an increasingly popular option for road users.

Because of this uptake in EVs, planning a road trip won’t just involve plotting scenic routes and booking accommodations - it’ll include checking the availability of EV charging stations on your route to ensure a smooth journey.

However, disparities exist, with some locations offering abundant charging options compared to a relatively low number of registered electric vehicles in the area, and others falling short where demand is high.

Here at Northgate Vehicle Hire, we delve into the data from Gov.uk to reveal where the most EV-accessible destinations are across the UK to help you plan your road trip, or to help you plot the best route for your electric vehicle.

5 Key Insights from the Data

Top Regions for EV Charger Density: As expected, London leads the way with Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, and the City of London having the highest density of charging devices per 100,000 population, making the capital highly accessible for EV drivers. Outside of London, regions like Birmingham, Bristol, and Coventry also offer substantial charging infrastructure, ensuring EV drivers are well-supported.
High EV Ownership: Regions like Stockport and Slough have a high number of registered electric vehicles but relatively fewer chargers, indicating potential pressure points where demand for charging infrastructure exceeds supply.
Charging Hotspots: Cities such as Birmingham and Coventry boast an extensive network of public charging devices, ensuring that EV drivers have reliable access to power during their stay.
Best Road Trip Destinations: Locations like Brighton & Hove, Edinburgh, and York offer a balance of good charging infrastructure and appealing tourist attractions, making them ideal for EV road trips.
Disparities in Infrastructure: Some regions, such as the Isles of Scilly, have either very few or no public charging devices, highlighting the need for improved infrastructure to support the growing number of electric vehicles.

Best Cities for EV Chargers

The data from Gov.uk reveals a mixed landscape of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles across the UK.

In London, boroughs such as Hammersmith, Fulham and Westminster boast the highest number of chargers compared to the registered number of electric vehicles in these areas - making the capital incredibly accessible for EV drivers with almost one charger per car.

Outside of London, areas such as Birmingham, Coventry, and Brighton & Hove share similar results, with high numbers of chargers compared to the registered number of EVs - making them very convenient for EV drivers.

These areas have invested significantly in their charging networks, providing numerous options to ensure EV drivers are never caught short.

Locations with an abundance of EV infrastructure compared to no. of EVs:

Location

Registered EVs

Public Charging Devices

Chargers per EV*

Coventry

2,379

2,084

0.876

Southwark

3,414

1,844

0.540

Waltham Forest

1,406

686

0.488

Wandsworth

3,000

1,451

0.484

Hammersmith and Fulham

5,626

2,662

0.473

Hackney

1,276

598

0.469

Watford

1,043

392

0.376

Na h-Eileanan

146

0.370

Blaenau Gwent

260

0.342

Kensington and Chelsea

2,673

906

0.339

*”Chargers Per EV” metric extrapolated by division of public charging devices with number of EVs registered for each location.

Data Source: Gov.uk

Worst Cities for EV Chargers

Conversely, regions like the Isles of Scilly and Castle Point have very few chargers relative to their EV ownership.

The Isles of Scilly, in particular, stand out with virtually no public charging infrastructure, posing a significant challenge for EV owners who wish to visit the scenic locale.

Additionally, places like Stockport and Slough have a high number of EVs but relatively fewer chargers, creating potential bottlenecks and highlighting the need for further investment in charging infrastructure.

Locations needing improvement in EV infrastructure:

*”EVs Per Charger” metric extrapolated by division of number of registered EVs with public charging devices for each location.

Data Source: Gov.uk

Plan Your EV Summer Road Trip in the UK

Despite these disparities, many destinations remain excellent for EV drivers.

Brighton & Hove, Edinburgh, and York not only offer a wealth of attractions for visitors but also have sufficient charging infrastructure to support electric vehicle tourism.

Cities like Birmingham and Coventry, with their extensive networks of public charging devices, ensure that EV drivers can travel with peace of mind, knowing that they will have access to chargers when needed.

Total data: Highest-to-Lowest Total Public Charging Devices

Geography	Total EVs Registered Q1 2024	Total public charging devices	Total public 50kW and above	Charging devices per 100,000 population
United Kingdom	1,096,966	64,632	12,474	96
Westminster	21,873	2,697	72	1276
Hammersmith and Fulham	5,626	2,662	58	1437
Coventry	2,379	2,084	79	586
Southwark	3,414	1,844	24	591
Wandsworth	3,000	1,451	37	441
Brent	4,269	1,004	16	294
Richmond upon Thames	3,761	1,004	20	515
Kensington and Chelsea	2,673	906	4	620
Merton	3,027	800	17	373
Ealing	6,792	698	55	189
North Yorkshire	7,320	689	145	111
Waltham Forest	1,406	686	23	249
Cornwall	4,977	642	159	112
Camden	3,076	640	12	294
Milton Keynes	41,954	637	171	218
Glasgow City	4,659	637	100	102
Hounslow	3,064	598	97	206
Hackney	1,276	598	23	229
Birmingham	5,799	583	188	50
Liverpool	2,374	582	42	117
Islington	1,900	569	29	258
Leeds	39,922	548	114	67
City of Edinburgh	5,038	523	91	102
Lambeth	1,884	496	22	157
Brighton and Hove	2,228	455	20	164
Somerset	5,323	451	94	78
Barnet	6,523	450	71	116
Shropshire	2,966	431	42	132
Manchester	3,872	427	84	75
Tower Hamlets	1,696	397	28	122
Highland	1,902	393	125	167
Watford	1,043	392	20	381
Wiltshire	26,313	387	126	75
Northumberland	3,214	383	43	118
Croydon	3,463	370	67	94
Kingston upon Thames	2,123	365	19	217
Buckinghamshire	9,177	354	66	63
Solihull	10,945	343	65	158
Sunderland	1,726	334	49	120
County Durham	3,825	313	81	59
Dumfries and Galloway	986	307	73	211
South Gloucestershire	36,045	295	150	100
West Northamptonshire	4,576	295	119	69
Reading	1,305	294	31	168
South Lanarkshire	3,222	282	99	86
Sheffield	4,754	281	47	50
Nottingham	1,903	276	83	84
North Lanarkshire	2,772	272	122	80
East Lothian	1,388	265	42	236
Haringey	2,071	264	34	101
Newham	1,559	264	20	74
West Berkshire	2,309	260	101	160
Dorset	4,012	256	78	67
Welwyn Hatfield	1,617	256	33	213
Cherwell	3,519	253	88	154
Stroud	1,765	253	70	205
Greenwich	1,907	245	59	84
Enfield	2,693	241	50	74
North Northamptonshire	4,811	238	64	66
Dundee City	1,422	229	66	154
Pembrokeshire	1,015	229	38	184
Fife	3,346	226	45	61
Cambridge	1,730	226	48	154
Perth and Kinross	1,804	225	78	149
Cheshire West and Chester	4,071	220	45	61
Lewisham	1,642	219	35	73
Central Bedfordshire	4,029	217	57	72
Hillingdon	10,970	215	78	69
Swansea	3,011	215	60	89
Warrington	2,504	215	33	102
Newcastle upon Tyne	2,085	213	48	69
West Suffolk	1,730	212	55	116
Exeter	2,195	209	90	155
Sutton	2,105	209	33	100
Bradford	3,401	208	82	38
Plymouth	1,424	208	37	78
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	3,574	207	77	52
Cheshire East	5,545	204	59	50
Aberdeenshire	2,855	202	44	77
Aberdeen City	1,905	202	58	90
Trafford	2,719	201	127	85
Gateshead	1,376	200	76	101
Medway	2,383	196	59	69
Bedford	2,121	196	61	105
Stirling	6,266	193	28	209
Wakefield	2,681	193	129	54
Wokingham	3,010	192	49	106
East Devon	1,567	191	50	124
Cardiff	2,662	190	66	51
Leicester	3,129	189	55	51
East Riding of Yorkshire	3,033	189	28	55
Rhondda Cynon Taf	1,238	189	13	79
Belfast	4,992	188	41	54
Stratford-on-Avon	2,356	183	62	132
Bexley	2,010	183	34	74
Oxford	1,522	181	42	111
Carmarthenshire	1,411	180	72	95
Dudley	2,148	179	69	55
Swindon	43,562	178	44	76
Derby	2,985	176	79	67
Salford	1,580	172	35	62
Newport	1,370	170	50	105
Winchester	2,252	169	37	130
Mid Sussex	2,166	168	41	108
Redbridge	2,692	167	32	54
Vale of Glamorgan	1,305	165	17	124
Gwynedd	657	164	19	140
Renfrewshire	9,900	156	44	85
Windsor and Maidenhead	53,580	155	9	100
Bromley	3,895	153	52	46
East Suffolk	2,235	153	42	62
Doncaster	3,803	146	38	47
York	1,884	146	36	71
Folkestone and Hythe	863	146	20	132
Bristol, City of	3,915	143	54	30
Powys	968	143	23	107
Argyll and Bute	689	143	28	163
Vale of White Horse	2,242	141	17	99
Cotswold	1,334	140	9	153
Lancaster	1,107	139	26	96
Lincoln	561	139	35	136
Portsmouth	10,461	137	13	66
Mole Valley	2,146	136	20	155
Rotherham	1,932	134	58	50
East Ayrshire	989	134	27	111
Peterborough	27,988	132	43	61
Kirklees	3,146	132	57	30
Wigan	2,197	132	56	40
Crawley	926	131	44	110
Ceredigion	542	131	30	183
Lewes	1,051	130	10	129
Warwick	1,996	125	19	83
Ipswich	1,018	125	30	90
Guildford	2,422	124	32	85
Kingston upon Hull, City of	1,134	124	31	46
South Cambridgeshire	3,082	123	17	74
Bridgend	1,859	122	28	84
Falkirk	1,519	122	25	77
Rugby	1,299	122	68	105
Conwy	864	122	5	107
North Somerset	2,944	121	44	55
Basingstoke and Deane	2,278	119	21	63
Southampton	1,411	119	18	47
Stafford	1,535	118	70	85
Monmouthshire	1,056	117	18	125
North Devon	806	117	20	116
Huntingdonshire	2,681	115	65	63
Hart	1,816	115	33	114
Stoke-on-Trent	1,738	115	37	44
Wealden	2,154	113	12	69
New Forest	2,092	113	19	64
Woking	1,309	113	2	109
North Ayrshire	988	113	30	85
Worthing	845	113	11	101
Bath and North East Somerset	2,361	111	21	57
West Oxfordshire	1,528	111	10	95
Stockton-on-Tees	1,507	111	36	56
Norwich	874	109	31	75
East Hertfordshire	2,103	106	15	70
Bracknell Forest	1,680	106	7	84
Wirral	2,503	105	15	33
Teignbridge	1,451	105	48	77
South Kesteven	1,397	105	58	73
Herefordshire, County of	1,912	104	22	55
Oldham	1,383	104	61	43
Darlington	2,380	103	8	94
Colchester	1,742	102	48	53
Braintree	1,390	102	22	65
Dover	837	101	27	86
Stockport	89,220	100	73	34
Elmbridge	3,261	100	37	71
Barnsley	1,817	100	22	41
Bromsgrove	1,398	100	76	100
Bassetlaw	1,112	100	70	83
West Lothian	1,967	99	39	55
Arun	1,370	99	17	60
North Norfolk	916	99	6	96
Babergh	952	98	33	104
Blaby	1,243	97	34	93
Midlothian	1,095	96	21	99
South Ayrshire	1,042	96	19	86
West Lancashire	1,307	95	25	80
Angus	1,044	95	38	83
Forest of Dean	912	95	15	108
Sandwell	4,258	94	52	27
Waverley	2,207	94	15	72
Dartford	1,284	94	42	79
Denbighshire	840	94	40	97
Breckland	1,242	93	29	65
Isle of Wight	1,201	93	13	66
Rushcliffe	1,865	92	60	76
Eastleigh	1,726	92	8	66
Calderdale	1,490	92	50	44
Canterbury	1,456	92	25	58
South Hams	1,172	92	5	102
Scottish Borders	1,050	92	29	79
Slough	32,704	91	47	57
Harborough	2,307	91	13	91
Flintshire	1,137	91	46	59
Isle of Anglesey	475	91	10	132
Wyre	1,041	90	30	78
Runnymede	1,201	89	16	101
South Ribble	1,139	89	28	79
Blaenau Gwent	260	89	5	133
Stevenage	579	88	6	98
South Oxfordshire	2,516	87	26	57
Horsham	2,149	87	14	59
Test Valley	1,848	87	32	66
Thurrock	1,358	87	67	49
Newark and Sherwood	1,352	87	45	70
Hinckley and Bosworth	1,169	87	17	76
East Lindsey	1,005	87	13	60
Broadland	1,457	86	44	64
Luton	1,061	86	33	38
Barking and Dagenham	1,488	85	19	39
East Staffordshire	1,101	85	37	68
South Norfolk	1,699	84	13	58
Wychavon	1,725	83	26	62
Chichester	1,649	83	13	66
Wolverhampton	1,442	83	50	31
Ashford	1,426	83	8	61
City of London	480	83	7	765
Charnwood	1,981	82	35	44
West Dunbartonshire	589	82	38	93
Chesterfield	7,074	81	25	78
Havering	2,283	81	50	31
Cheltenham	1,228	81	13	68
Mid Suffolk	1,575	80	8	76
Rochdale	1,413	80	41	35
South Staffordshire	1,099	80	50	72
Gloucester	1,056	80	13	60
Caerphilly	1,001	80	10	45
Inverclyde	593	80	30	102
Chorley	1,358	79	60	67
Preston	1,190	79	32	52
Telford and Wrekin	1,682	78	42	41
Epping Forest	1,855	77	33	57
Moray	716	76	15	81
Great Yarmouth	530	76	16	76
Maidstone	1,857	75	34	42
Gedling	1,088	75	16	64
Tonbridge and Malling	1,796	74	19	55
Worcester	833	74	33	71
Bolton	2,011	73	28	24
Walsall	1,476	73	27	26
Basildon	2,105	72	18	38
Hertsmere	1,913	72	40	67
North Tyneside	1,662	72	26	34
Bolsover	692	72	18	88
St Albans	2,575	71	15	48
Swale	1,113	71	17	46
Surrey Heath	1,886	70	14	77
North Lincolnshire	1,252	68	23	40
Eastbourne	685	68	16	67
Derbyshire Dales	837	67	12	93
Torfaen	642	67	5	72
Harrow	3,311	63	19	24
Newcastle-under-Lyme	984	62	31	50
Gravesham	959	62	7	58
Fermanagh and Omagh	391	61	10	52
Sevenoaks	1,884	60	20	50
Dacorum	2,156	59	31	38
Chelmsford	2,131	59	22	32
Bury	1,857	59	34	30
Spelthorne	1,055	59	11	57
Redcar and Cleveland	788	59	14	43
Burnley	479	59	18	62
Tewkesbury	1,269	58	20	60
Broxtowe	947	58	27	52
Causeway Coast and Glens	668	57	15	40
Halton	2,171	56	9	43
North Hertfordshire	1,850	56	21	42
South Derbyshire	1,150	56	8	50
North Warwickshire	589	56	22	85
Uttlesford	1,702	55	29	59
Amber Valley	1,269	55	18	43
Adur	679	55	9	85
Sefton	1,842	54	25	19
North West Leicestershire	1,264	54	17	50
Broxbourne	886	54	4	55
West Devon	538	54	19	93
Orkney Islands	456	54	11	245
Na h-Eileanan Siar	146	54	12	207
Three Rivers	1,632	53	5	56
Thanet	919	53	22	38
East Cambridgeshire	1,107	52	9	58
High Peak	823	52	17	57
Middlesbrough	615	52	23	35
Tameside	1,245	50	26	22
Torridge	538	50	7	73
Clackmannanshire	441	50	9	97
East Hampshire	1,919	49	21	39
Antrim and Newtownabbey	1,902	49	14	34
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon	1,215	49	10	22
Blackburn with Darwen	966	49	20	32
Mansfield	802	49	25	44
Ribble Valley	749	49	1	78
Rushmoor	4,688	48	20	48
Havant	1,222	47	21	38
North East Lincolnshire	941	47	16	30
Newry, Mourne and Down	917	47	14	26
Mid Devon	736	46	19	55
Cannock Chase	970	45	26	45
Ashfield	932	45	11	35
Wrexham	789	45	13	33
Blackpool	757	45	3	32
Reigate and Banstead	2,499	44	10	29
Tunbridge Wells	1,453	44	16	38
Wyre Forest	768	43	24	42
Tendring	1,102	42	15	28
Torbay	895	42	14	30
Fylde	868	42	21	51
South Holland	802	42	10	43
Rossendale	552	42	25	59
Oadby and Wigston	488	42	7	72
South Tyneside	961	41	7	28
West Lindsey	950	41	23	42
Merthyr Tydfil	261	41	5	70
East Renfrewshire	1,385	40	22	41
Tandridge	1,314	40	13	45
Lisburn and Castlereagh	1,727	39	8	26
Harlow	943	39	7	41
Shetland Islands	177	39	6	169
Lichfield	1,430	38	14	35
St. Helens	1,279	38	23	21
Hartlepool	496	38	8	41
North Kesteven	1,256	37	16	31
Southend-on-Sea	1,140	37	14	21
Brentwood	950	37	21	48
Knowsley	938	37	16	24
Boston	414	37	13	52
East Dunbartonshire	1,385	36	8	33
Malvern Hills	993	36	8	44
Erewash	913	36	18	32
Derry City and Strabane	631	36	6	24
Neath Port Talbot	814	35	14	25
Rochford	832	34	15	39
Hyndburn	530	34	9	41
Mid Ulster	639	33	8	22
Rutland	495	33	7	80
Hastings	477	33	12	36
Gosport	451	33	8	40
Fareham	1,381	31	15	27
Nuneaton and Bedworth	965	31	13	23
Mid and East Antrim	816	30	10	22
Ards and North Down	1,376	29	15	18
Rother	933	29	15	31
Maldon	707	28	8	41
Redditch	2,116	25	7	29
Epsom and Ewell	1,125	25	7	31
Staffordshire Moorlands	751	25	5	26
North East Derbyshire	953	22	3	21
Tamworth	625	22	11	28
Pendle	487	20	5	21
Fenland	701	14	3	14
Melton	567	12	2	23
Castle Point	597	3	3	3
Isles of Scilly	45	0	0	0

EV-Friendly Routes to Tourist Destinations

Planning a road trip with an electric vehicle involves considering the availability of charging stations along your route. We’ve plotted some recommended routes that offer optimal access to EV chargers, ensuring you can explore some of the UK's best tourist destinations in your Electric Vehicle with peace of mind.

Note: The average range of an EV between charges is 80-250 miles. These routes are the safest to ensure you never get caught short when travelling long distances due to the availability and frequency of chargers.
Source: Zapmap

Birmingham to Edinburgh

Start in Birmingham

Birmingham to Manchester (approx. 85 miles)

Take the M6 and M56 motorways.
Charging stop in Manchester: Robust charging infrastructure in the city.

Manchester to Leeds (approx. 45 miles)

Take the M62 highway.
Charging stop in Leeds: Good availability of chargers in the city.

Leeds to Newcastle upon Tyne (approx. 95 miles)

Take the A1(M) highway.
Charging stop in Newcastle: Numerous chargers are available, including fast chargers.

Newcastle to Edinburgh (approx. 120 miles)

- Take the A1 highway.
- Charging stop in Edinburgh: Ensure enough charge to reach the destination.

Birmingham to Edinburgh EV Charging

Brighton & Hove to Cardiff

Start in Brighton & Hove

Brighton & Hove to Crawley (approx. 22 miles)

Take the A23 highway.
Charging stop in Crawley: Known for good charging infrastructure due to proximity to Gatwick Airport.

Crawley to Reading (approx. 60 miles)

Take the M23 and M25 highways, then the M4.
Charging stop in Reading: Significant charging infrastructure available in the city.

Reading to Swindon (approx. 45 miles)

Take the M4 highway.
Charging stop in Swindon: Notable charging facilities.

Swindon to Cardiff (approx. 75 miles)

- Take the M4 highway.
- Charging stop in Cardiff: Well-established charging infrastructure in the city.

Brighton to Cardiff EV Charging

York to Cornwall

Start in York

York to Leeds (approx. 25 miles)
- Take the A64 highway.
- Charging stop in Leeds: Significant charging infrastructure available in the city.
Leeds to Birmingham (approx. 120 miles)
- Take the M1 and M42 highways.
- Charging stop in Birmingham: Extensive charging network in the city.
Birmingham to Bristol (approx. 85 miles)
- Take the M5 highway.
- Charging stop in Bristol: Notable charging facilities available.
Bristol to Exeter (approx. 75 miles)
- Continue on the M5 highway.
- Charging stop in Exeter: Substantial charging infrastructure.
Exeter to Cornwall (approx. 75 miles)
- Take the A30 highway.
- Charging stop in Cornwall: Ensure sufficient charge to reach the destination.

York to Cornwall EV Charging

Nottingham to Belfast

Start in Nottingham

Nottingham to Manchester (approx. 70 miles)
- Take the A52 and M60 highways.
- Charging stop in Manchester: Extensive charging network in the city.
Manchester to Liverpool (approx. 35 miles)
- Take the M62 highway.
- Charging stop in Liverpool: Good charging facilities are available.
Liverpool to Belfast (via Ferry)
- Take the ferry from Liverpool to Belfast.
- Charging stop in Belfast: Well-established charging infrastructure in the city.

Nottingham to Belfast EV Charging

Blackpool to The Isles of Scilly

Start in Blackpool

Blackpool to Birmingham (approx. 125 miles)
- Take the M6 highway.
- Charging stop in Birmingham: Extensive charging network in the city.
Birmingham to Bristol (approx. 85 miles)
- Take the M5 highway.
- Charging stop in Bristol: Notable charging facilities available.
Bristol to Penzance (approx. 160 miles)
- Take the M5 and A30 highways.
- Charging stop in Penzance: Ensure sufficient charge before ferry departure.
Penzance to the Isles of Scilly (via Ferry)
- Take the ferry from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly.
- Final destination: Zero public charging options on the Isles of Scilly, so ensure full charge before departure.