Report reveals 20 fastest cities to charge your EV

The Midlands has been ranked as the fastest place in the UK to charge your electric vehicle, according to Admiral Car Insurance and Zap-Map.

By using Zap-Map’s EV charge point mapping service and Admiral’s 2021/22 insurance data, the two companies were able to highlight the towns and cities in the UK that are currently best served for the two quickest types of charging points.

The companies’ analysis has highlighted the Midlands as a hotspot for charging your electric car as quickly as possible.

Indeed, the five cities with the most rapid and ultra-rapid chargers are Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Birmingham and Coventry. Nottingham currently enjoys a fairly comfortable lead, with a grand total of 122 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers at the end of April, over Milton Keynes with 106.

Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zap-Map, said: “As the number of pure-electric cars on the road approaches half a million, a robust charging network is critical. Over the past few years there has been huge investment in high-powered chargers and it’s great to see many cities across the UK having a strong provision.

“There are of course a range of different needs when it comes to charging an EV, but continued investment in high-powered chargers for longer journeys is crucial as the number of EVs on the road continues to grow at pace. Nottingham may well be leading the charge in this area right now, but it will certainly be interesting to see which city takes the top spot in two years’ time.”

Admiral’s own data shows the growing popularity of electric vehicles, with drivers insuring 79% more pure-electric vehicles (and 20% more hybrid vehicles) in 2022 compared with 2021.

Meanwhile, the number of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers has also shown promising growth in recent years. While there were just 973 rapid and ultra-rapid devices at the end of 2016, by the end of April 2022 the UK had over 5,750 rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers – more than a 490% increase.

Between April 2021 and April 2022, the UK has seen a 74% increase in the number of ultra-rapid devices, the quickest available. With this in mind, Admiral has partnered with Zap Map to help drivers find the location of the country’s fastest EV charging points with their EV charging map.

Clare Egan, Head of Motor Product at Admiral, said: “The 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars is fast approaching. As Admiral’s own insurance data shows, electric cars are only growing in popularity so public attention should increasingly turn to the UK’s EV charging network.

“While most EVs will charge overnight at home, many people driving longer distances will need to charge up as quickly as possible. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Zap-Map to find the speediest cities to charge your car.

“Those of us making cross-country trips this summer now know that the Midlands is a great place to recharge the battery and grab a quick coffee before getting back on the road for a well-deserved break.”