THE BEST PLACE IN SCOTLAND TO OWN AN ELECTRIC CAR
A new study has revealed that the Orkney Islands are the best area in Scotland to own an electric car.
The study by car usership experts CarGuide.co.uk analysed the number of electric car charging points on Zap Map and ONS data to establish which local authority in Scotland has the highest number of charging points per 100,000 population.
The data found that the Orkney Islands are the area in Scotland with the highest number of charging points per 100,000 people, at 178.6. This comes as a result of 40 total charging points in the area and a population of 22,400 and makes the Orkney Islands the most accessible area in Scotland to own an electric car.
The second-best local authority in Scotland to own an electric vehicle is Stirling which has 126.5 charging points per 100,000 people. The area has a total of 119 charging points, significantly more than the Orkney Islands, but with a population of 94,080, this means that the area provides slightly less accessibility to charging points than the Orkney Islands.
Areas such as Dundee, Shetland Islands, East Lothian and Dumfries & Galloway were also listed among the best cities in Scotland to own an electric car.
The worst area in Scotland to own an electric car is revealed to be East Dunbartonshire, which has the lowest number of accessible charging points per population with only 23 per 100,000 available. With a total of 25 public charging devices across the area and a population of 108,750, Bolton is the area with the least access to charging points for electric vehicle owners.
East Renfrewshire is the second-worst Scottish area for owners of electric vehicles with a population of 96,060 and only 24 charging points across the area. This equates to 25 public charging devices per 100,000 – the second lowest number of all areas analysed.
Other areas that were the worst for an electric car included Glasgow, Falkirk, Edinburgh and Renfrewshire.
CarGuide.co.uk founder, Olli Astley, commented on the findings: “Whilst we at CarGuide.co.uk believe that Motorists getting into electric vehicles is the best way forward due to the benefits to the environment, the UK’s charging infrastructure still has a way to go.”
