UK‑based media and consumer information platform Electrifying.com is calling for investment to be matched by clear, consistent national guidance to help local authorities install chargers in suitable locations and end Britain’s growing postcode lottery for EV charging. New analysis by Electrifying.com reveals a marked north–south divide. While drivers in London and the South benefit from dense, rapidly expanding networks, millions elsewhere still face limited provision that could undermine the UK’s target for nationwide electric‑vehicle adoption.
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Five major northern cities – Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield – have a combined population of 2.7 million but only 2,485 public chargers between them. Coventry, with 350,000 residents, has 2,578 chargers – more than the five northern cities combined. Westminster alone hosts 2,746 chargers, meaning a single London borough is better served than millions of drivers across the North.
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“The scale of the disparity is impossible to ignore. Coventry has more than 750 chargers per 100,000 people; each of the Northern Five has fewer than 100, and Westminster leads with over 1,300 per 100,000. Not a single area in the top ten lies in the North, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland,” said Ginny Buckley, CEO of Electrifying.com. “This isn’t about geography – it’s about consistency. Some councils are innovating with charging gullies and street solutions, while others struggle to get projects started. We need a joined‑up national approach that gives local authorities the guidance, expertise and confidence to install the right chargers in the right places. Without that, the EV transition will be fair for some – and impossible for others,” Buckley added.
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Coventry stands out as an example of what is possible: its collaborative, focused approach to charging rollout shows how effective local leadership can deliver reliable infrastructure at scale. Even where chargers are available, public confidence remains low. In a survey of more than 11,000 UK drivers conducted by Electrifying.com and the AA, 60 percent said public charging infrastructure is unreliable, while only 6 percent believe there are enough public chargers in the UK. (hcn)
