Drivers face electric car charging shortfall as UK cities fall behind demand - 'Investment is vital'

Hemma Visavadia
Fri, 01 May 2026 05:00:01 +0000

UK cities have faced growing pressure to install more electric vehicle chargers as demand surges and infrastructure struggles to keep up.

New research found enquiries for electric cars have jumped by 23 per cent in recent weeks, driven in part by rising fuel prices, although not all areas are ready to switch.

The study analysed Government figures to identify the areas facing the biggest strain and found that towns and cities are falling behind, with too few public chargers to support the rapid rise in EV ownership.

Stockport has emerged as the area under the most pressure, with just two public chargers for every 1,000 electric vehicles in the area.

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Other areas facing similar issues include Windsor and Maidenhead, Peterborough and Slough, all of which have very low charger availability compared to the number of EVs on the road.

Even larger cities are struggling to keep up, including Leeds, which has only 13 chargers per 1,000 EVs, while Milton Keynes and parts of Greater Manchester are also lagging behind demand.

According to Carwow, electric vehicles made up more than half of new car interest at its peak in October, up from just over 40 per cent at the start of the year.

Government incentives have played a key role in driving that growth, with around 38 per cent of drivers saying grants were the main reason they considered switching to electric.

However, experts warned that rising demand is now outpacing the UK's charging network, creating a growing gap between EV ownership and infrastructure.

Iain Reid, global content director at Carwow, said: "The grant clearly sparked interest when it launched, but the reality is that many drivers still don't know it's there.

"Our data shows that drivers respond quickly when incentives are introduced, but keeping that interest going is the bigger challenge."

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Mr Reid also warned that more needs to be done to keep the UK on track for its Zero Emission Vehicle target, which will ban all new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030.

He stressed that building more charging points is only part of the solution, with a clear need for proper communication to potential motorists.

The report also highlighted which areas should be prioritised for future investment, including Stockport, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Peterborough, based on a combination of charger shortages, EV growth and population size.

With petrol and diesel costs remaining high, more drivers are expected to consider switching to electric in the coming months.

However, without rapid improvements to charging infrastructure, experts have warned that the transition to net zero and continuation of the ZEV mandate could slow down.

The research called for local authorities to accelerate the rollout of chargers to match the pace of EV adoption, or risk leaving drivers without the support they need.