EV charging postcode lottery revealed in new analysis

New analysis from Electrifying.com reveals a north–south divide in EV charging provision. 

While drivers in London and the South benefit from dense, fast-growing charging networks, millions
elsewhere face patchy provision that risks undermining the UK’s ambition for a national switch to electric vehicles.

Five major northern cities – Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield – have a combined population of 2.7 million and share just 2,485 public chargers between them. Coventry, with only 350,000 residents, boasts 2,578 chargers – more than the five northern powerhouses combined. Westminster alone has 2,746 chargers, meaning a single London borough is better served than millions of drivers across the North.

As the government prepares to announce increased financial support for on-street charging, experts from Electrifying.com warn that funding alone is not enough, and that investment must be matched with consistent national guidance to help local authorities install chargers in the right locations.

Ginny Buckley, Chief Executive of Electrifying.com, said: “The scale of the disparity is impossible to ignore. Coventry has over 750 chargers per 100,000 people, every one of the Northern Five has fewer than 100, and Westminster tops the chart with more than 1,300 per 100,000. Not a single area in the top ten is in the North, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

“This isn’t about geography – it’s about consistency. Some councils are innovating with charging gullies and street solutions, while others can’t get schemes off the ground. We urgently 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.”

Coventry is a standout example of what’s possible: its collaborative, focused approach to charging rollout shows how effective local leadership can deliver rapid, reliable infrastructure at scale.

Even where chargers exist, public confidence remains low. In a survey over 11,000 UK drivers conducted with Electrifiying.com and the AA, 60% told us they believe public charging infrastructure is unreliable, while just 6% agree there are enough public chargers in the UK.

John Lewis, CEO, char.gy: “Coventry is proof that rapid rollout isn’t a London-only story, it’s what happens when a council has clarity, capability and committed partners. Many other areas want to deliver
the same, but they’re held back by a variety of factors, such as planning and grid
capacity.

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

The imbalance risks creating a two-tier system where EV ownership is convenient for Londoners and southern drivers, but far less practical elsewhere. Northern and rural areas suffer from thin coverage, while London boroughs such as Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea enjoy some of the best provision in the country.