EV Deserts: Mapping the Places Falling Behind in the EV Transition
Summary
Dick Lovett analyses EV adoption and charging growth to show which UK areas are keeping up with demand and which are falling behind.
Why charging availability is shaping the UK’s switch to electric
In 2020, there were just 155,242 licensed ultra-low emission vehicles on UK roads, but today that number has risen by 579% to more than 1.05 million. Over the same period, the public EV charging station network has expanded by 349% from 18,265 devices to 82,002, with rapid chargers also seeing an increase of 420%.
These figures show that the country is moving in the right direction, but they don’t necessarily reflect the experience of every EV driver in the UK. In many areas, EV ownership has risen sharply while the local EV charging station network has expanded more gradually. As a result, public charging is less reliable, with more competition for devices and more time spent planning around routes, timing, and availability.
This imbalance between the number of EVs on the road and the growth of public chargers is what signals where “EV deserts” are beginning to appear. In these areas, EV ownership has grown, but access to public and rapid charging has not kept pace, making everyday use noticeably harder than in better-served locations. Our research shows that these differences are already visible across the UK, and that the ease of owning an electric vehicle often depends on how well each area has expanded its EV charging station network over the past five years.
How the UK’s charging landscape compares across the nations
We first looked at how each of the UK nations has adapted to the growth in EVs and charging infrastructure since 2020. All four have made progress over the years, but the rate at which EV numbers and public chargers have grown varies enough to show which nations are struggling with EV deserts.
Wales is leading the way with EV adoption and access to charging
Our findings reveal that Wales ranks highest of all the UK nations, largely due to how well its EV charging station network has kept pace with rising EV ownership.
In 2020, Wales had 4,482 ultra low emission vehicles on the road, representing 0.3% of all vehicles. Today, this number has increased to 35,290, a rise of 687%, bringing EV share to 2.3%. Over the same period, the public EV charging station network grew from 648 to 3,519 devices, an increase of 443%, while rapid chargers saw even stronger growth, rising from 85 to 753, an increase of 786%.
For a nation with a wide geographic spread and many rural communities, this level of progress and balance between adoption and infrastructure is evidence of a consistent commitment to preparing for higher EV demand over the years.
England has strong adoption but uneven access to charging
England ranks second in our national index, with this position reflecting both the scale of its EV market and the varied pace of its charging rollout.
In 2025, England recorded 926,653 ultra low emission vehicles, up by 570% from 138,395 five years earlier, giving it the largest EV population in the UK. EVs now account for 3.7% of all licensed vehicles, which is higher than the share seen in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Public chargers have increased by 359% in the same time period, going from 15,395 to 70,672, while rapid chargers have grown by 424%, from 2,615 to 13,694.
Many parts of England have seen clear improvements that make owning an EV much easier than it was five years ago, but variation from region to region means its overall progress is felt less than it is in Wales, with drivers in some areas experiencing EV deserts.
Northern Ireland and Scotland show steady progress
Northern Ireland and Scotland rank in third and fourth place, though both nations have shown steady improvement in their shift to electric vehicles, even if it is more gradual than in the top two nations.
Northern Ireland has increased its EV share from 0.2% in 2020 to 1.4% in 2025, and during this period the number of public chargers has grown by 119%, from 312 to 684.
Rapid chargers have also seen an increase, going from 19 to 188 devices over the same period, an increase of 889%. These changes show that progress is being made and gives drivers access to a larger and more reliable network than existed five years ago.
Scotland has also seen ongoing improvements, with its EV share having risen from 0.4% to 3.3% over the past five years. Public chargers have increased from 1,910 to 7,127, a rise of 273%, while rapid chargers have grown from 487 to 2,042, an increase of 319%.
Both of these nations are moving in the right direction and continue to build the foundations needed for wider EV adoption, but their rate of improvement places them below both Wales and England in the national ranking.
How England’s regions compare in their shift to electric
As England is the only UK nation that receives LEVI funding, the regional picture here is more varied than anywhere else in the UK. Some regions have been able to expand their EV charging station networks quickly and are now seeing the benefits, while others are progressing more slowly.
To understand this, we looked at regional EV adoption and charging growth alongside the level of capital LEVI funding each area has received, highlighting where improvements are already happening and where further investment may be needed in the future.
Regions showing the strongest momentum
Our analysis shows that several regions, including the North West, East Midlands, and the East of England perform strongly in our regional index.
The East of England in particular shows a big alignment between EV growth and charger network expansion, meaning it ranks highest overall in the study.
The East of England has seen its EV share increase from 0.53% to 3.02% over the past five years, with 114,984 registered EVs on the roads in 2025. Equally, since 2020, the number of public in the area has gone from 1,119 to 6,249, a 458% increase while rapid chargers have increased by 720%, from 211 to 1,730. The East received a LEVI fund allocation of £37 million, the fourth largest in the study.
Followed by the East, the North West and the East Midlands have seen equal growth in the last five years.
In the North West, EV share has increased from 0.35% to 3.1% in the past five years. Over the same time period, the number of public chargers has increased by 284%, from 1,476 to 5,669, while rapid chargers have risen from 297 to 1,826, an increase of 515%. This region also received the second highest LEVI capital allocation, with £51 million assigned to support local infrastructure projects.
The East Midlands has shown very similar progress, despite receiving a smaller LEVI fund allocation of £33.7 million. EVs in this region have grown from 0.42% to 3.3% of all licensed vehicles between 2020 and 2025. Public chargers have risen by around 294%, from 962 to 3,792, and rapid chargers have increased by 520%, from 213 to 1,321. The fact that the region achieved this level of progress with comparatively less funding suggests that local planning and deployment played a key role in how the infrastructure has been delivered.
The West Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber also rank well in the regional index. Each of these regions has seen steady increases in EV ownership and has continued to expand its public and rapid EV charging station networks in line with rising demand over the past five years.
Regions where progress has been slower
At the opposite end of the index is the North East and the South West, which have the lowest overall scores among the English regions.
In the North East, EV share has increased from 0.33% to 2.7% in the past five years, which is the lowest EV share of any English region. Public chargers have grown from 812 to 2,703, an increase of 233%, and rapid chargers from 118 to 636, an increase of 439%. Although this does show clear progress, it is a slower rate of improvement than seen in regions such as the North West or East Midlands.
The North East also received the lowest LEVI fund allocation, with £22.4 million assigned to the region, which may have contributed to the slower rollout of infrastructure when compared to other regions.
The South West has seen EV share rise from 0.53% to 3.1%, with 91,196 EVs on the road today, but charger growth has not accelerated at the same pace like it has in the higher ranking regions. Public chargers have risen from 1,416 to 5,829, and rapid chargers from 278 to 1,672. This means that while progress is clearly being made, drivers in parts of the South West may still find charging less accessible than those in other areas of England, with only 1 charger for every 16 EVs.
How local authorities differ in their progress
Looking at national and regional trends helps show the bigger picture, but most drivers experience issues with EV ownership at a much more local level. The availability of chargers in the towns, cities, and counties where people live and travel is what determines whether an EV feels practical for their day-to-day life. Understanding how to charge an electric car in different settings also becomes more important at this point, as the ease of home, workplace, or public charging often depends on what an individual area has to offer.
When we dig a little deeper with our ranking, we see some areas where EV adoption and infrastructure have grown together, while others have found it much more difficult to keep the two in balance.
The areas making the fastest progress
Our analysis shows that North West Leicestershire sits at the very top of the local authority ranking. The area has gone from 232 ultra low emission vehicles on the road in 2020 to 2,299 today, an increase of 891%.
This means EVs now make up 3.8% of all licensed vehicles locally, compared with just 0.4% in 2020. Over the same period, public charging devices increased from 16 to 96, a rise of 500%, and rapid chargers grew from 2 to 23, an increase of 1,050%. This combination of strong EV growth and an EV charging station network that has expanded at a similar pace is what gives North West Leicestershire the highest overall score in the index.
In second place is Birmingham, which is the strongest-performing major city in the UK. The city has seen ultra low emission vehicles grow from 1,436 to 12,693, an increase of 784%. EVs now account for 3.2% of all licensed vehicles, up from 0.4%. Over the same period, public chargers increased from 103 to 1,264, a rise of around 1,127%, and rapid chargers rose from 13 to 223, an increase of an incredible 1,615%. This is a much sharper increase than many other large urban areas and reflects the authority’s sustained effort to build infrastructure to keep up with growing demand.
In third place is Blaby, where EV numbers have grown from 199 to 1,927, an increase of 868%, while the share of EVs has risen from 0.4% to 3.4% of all vehicles on the roads. Public chargers have increased from 21 to 116, a rise of 452%, while rapid chargers have grown from 4 to 63, an increase of around 1,475%. Again, the data shows a clear link between rising EV ownership and effective investment in public and rapid charging.
Other local authorities that make up the top 10 in the ranking include Kingston upon Thames, Knowsley, Broxbourne, Brentwood, East Staffordshire, Trafford, and Central Bedfordshire. Each of these areas has seen EV numbers grow significantly, alongside the number of public and rapid chargers, making EV ownership more practical for local drivers.
Regions Struggling to Keep Up with EV Charging
At the opposite end of the index are the local authorities where progress has been much slower, with Torridge, on the north Devon coast, ranking last.
EV numbers in Torridge have increased from 166 to 906 in the past five years, a rise of around 446%, and EVs now make up 2.4% of all licensed vehicles, up from 0.5%. However, public chargers have only grown from 22 to 56 over the same period, an increase of around 155%.
Based on this, there are around 16 EVs for every public charger in the area, and the number of rapid chargers has actually fallen from 6 to 4. This means residents are now relying on a very small and slightly reduced fast-charging network, which explains why Torridge sits at the bottom of the list.
The Shetland Islands and Na h-Eileanan Siar also appear near the bottom of the ranking.
In the Shetland Islands, EVs have grown from 47 to 225 since 2020, and EV share has risen from 0.4% to 2.1%. Public chargers have increased from 17 to 37, and rapid chargers from 2 to 9. Na h-Eileanan Siar, an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland, has seen EV numbers rise from 37 to 232, with EV share increasing from 0.3% to 1.8%. At the same time, public devices have grown from 24 to 60 and rapid chargers from 7 to 19.
Havant also sits towards the lower end of the ranking. EV numbers may have increased from 302 to 1,817 between 2020 and 2025, but public chargers have only grown from 25 to 51 and rapid chargers from 16 to 25.
The bottom of the ranking also includes Somerset, Westmorland and Furness, Orkney Islands, Bristol City, Ards and North Down, Argyll and Bute, Herefordshire County, Angus, Eastbourne, Fermanagh and Omagh, and the Isle of Wight. These authorities make up the rest of the 15 lowest-ranked areas in the UK, and although each has increased its number of EVs and added to its EV charging network, the growth in infrastructure has not kept pace with the rise in EV ownership.
Many of these are rural or coastal authorities, or island communities, where geography and installation costs may slow down EV expansion and make it harder to progress. In these places, drivers often rely more on en-route charging when travelling across or beyond the area.
From a driver’s perspective, having fewer public chargers to choose from and needing to plan more carefully around the devices that are available can make owning an EV noticeably more difficult for residents and people passing through.
What does this mean for drivers choosing an EV?
For drivers thinking about making the switch to an electric vehicle, our findings highlight how much day-to-day usability depends on local infrastructure.
In the areas that rank highly in our index, the growth in public and rapid chargers is keeping pace with rising EV ownership. This makes charging more convenient, with more devices available across residential areas, town centres, and popular routes. It also means that longer journeys are easier to plan, as rapid chargers are becoming more common and more reliable.
In places where charger growth has been slower, the picture is slightly different. EV ownership is still steadily increasing, but the public network is not always expanding quickly enough to support that demand. Drivers may find that their nearest EV charging stations are busier at peak times, that certain routes have fewer options than expected, or that they can only rely on home charging.
These differences do not necessarily prevent EV ownership, but they do influence how easy and accessible it feels. The majority still charge at home, and new technology is making the process far more efficient — especially with the rise of smart EV charging – so while some regions may be slower with their public charger pick up, it shouldn’t completely block the path to EV ownership.
Looking at how quickly an area is developing its public EV charging station network can give a clearer sense of what EV ownership might look like locally. Many councils are working to expand their provision, and further funding will help strengthen networks over the coming years. For now, though, the landscape across the UK remains varied.
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