Large cities offer more job opportunities but with that, comes higher property prices, which has led to a large amount of people moving to smaller “commuter” towns, and travelling into the city for work instead. Others may also prefer to live further out, avoiding the busy nature of cities.
While big cities are leading the EV revolution through initiatives such as low-emission zones and advanced infrastructure, smaller towns or more remote locations are often lagging behind, and with the Government launching a consultation looking at how to phase-out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, living in an EV-friendly area is becoming more important.
Our latest study has revealed the most EV-friendly commuter towns in the UK.
To find the most EV-friendly commuter towns, the study ranked each town on three factors –the number of public charger destinations per 5,000 people, the percentage of rapid charging (43kw+) or ultra rapid charging (100kw+) available at these destinations, and if EV charging was available outside at least one of the town’s train stations.
The rankings were combined to give each town a score out of 100, with the weighting 50:25:25 for public charger destinations, rapid/ultra rapid chargers and train station charging.
The top 10 commuter towns are:
| Rank | Commuter Town | Nearby City | Charger Destinations (per 5,000 people) | % Rapid/Ultra Chargers | Train Station Chargers | Final Score (Out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Inverkeithing | Edinburgh | 12.0 | 42% | Y | 92.5 |
| Jt. 2. | Droitwich | Birmingham | 5.0 | 60% | Y | 91.8 |
| Jt. 2. | Queensferry | Edinburgh | 5.0 | 60% | Y | 91.8 |
| 4. | Honiton | Exeter | 6.0 | 42% | Y | 89.7 |
| 5. | Chesterfield | Sheffield | 5.7 | 39% | Y | 88.3 |
| 6. | East Retford | Doncaster | 3.2 | 69% | Y | 87.5 |
| Jt. 7. | Lurgan | Belfast | 2.8 | 100% | Y | 86.1 |
| Jt. 7. | Cannock | Birmingham | 3.8 | 48% | Y | 86.1 |
| 9. | Bathgate | Edinburgh | 6.0 | 33% | Y | 85.8 |
| 10. | Andover | Winchester | 4.2 | 44% | Y | 85.5 |
“To change behaviours, we need to make electric vehicles more accessible to everyday users, and for most, this starts with the public charging network.
According to Government data, the number of chargepoints across the UK has increased by 49% since April 20231[1], and it’s pleasing to see the work being done to support drivers in smaller commuter towns to ensure they aren’t left behind as we move towards electric vehicles.
However, while this is a positive step in the right direction, there needs to be more support offered to drivers to help them make the change. Improving the education around EVs, offering financial incentives, and creating a used market to make them more affordable, will all help encourage drivers to make the switch to an EV, and help the government achieve its target of phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.”
Andy Wolff, Commercial Director at Zenith’s Corporate division
External Sources
1 electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics april 2024.
