ELECTRIC car drivers across Scotland have some of the best access to public charge points around the UK, a study of the latest official data has found.
There are currently 2816 publicly available EV chargers in Scotland, the equivalent of 51.5 to every 100,000 people, or one to every 13 electric vehicles – of which there are about 37,800.
EV drivers in the Outer Hebrides are likely to find it easiest to boost power close to home, with the islands’ 89 EVs sharing 28 charging stations.
And while 44 per cent of drivers in Edinburgh cited concerns about the number of accessible chargers available to them near home, the ratio of EVs to public points is currently only 17 to one.
Car leasing experts at ZenAuto dug into new Department for Transport data and compared public charging stations per local authority with the number of electric vehicles registered to that area.
Overall, the UK ratio of EVs to charge points came out at 22 to one, although this was lowest in Wales – at 12 to one, then Scotland (13), Northern Ireland (22) and England (23).
In Scotland, it transpires that battery-powered car drivers in the Western Isles council area are best off, with a ratio of just three EVs to every public charger.
Highland and Argyll & Bute (five to one), then Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, Shetland Islands, East Lothian and Dundee City (six to one), all followed.
ZenAuto also asked non-EV drivers if, alongside any concern about charging points in their area, there was anything else that was putting them off switching over.
A high 68 per cent said they were put off by the initial cost of the vehicles, with 58 per cent saying prices would need to significantly reduce for them to buy in the next six months.
In fact, 12 per cent stated that while they were eager to become an electric car owner now, they simply couldn’t afford to do so at present.
Nonetheless, just four per cent said they didn’t expect to have an EV before the Government bans the sale of new petrol or diesel cars in 2030.
ZenAuto consumer and brand boss Vicky Kerridge said: “Our research revealed just how many motorists are concerned about being able to charge up an EV close to home or work.
“So we wanted to offer reassurance that actually, in many areas, there are more than enough chargers to go around at this time.
“Of course, as more people switch over then the ratio will change, but there are also more chargers being added each month, too. Councils seem to be very aware of just how important it is to ensure that the infrastructure in their area meets demand.
“Also, this insight is specifically reflective of the EVs registered to that place and naturally people will drive around and use chargers in other local authority areas. However, even taking this into consideration, the data should put many minds at ease.”
Visit: www.zen.auto/ev-charging-stations for more information.
