Stockport is the UK's EV hotspot: SK postcode area has the highest number of registered pure electric cars in the UK

• An investigation by climate solutions charity, One Home, shows that Stockport is the UK’s most plugged-in postcode area with almost 98,000 registered pure electric cars.
• DVLA stats give the UK’s top 20 postcode areas with the highest number of registered pure electric cars.
• Manchester’s postcode area, M, sits at number 23 with just 9,841 registered electric cars, trailing behind Leeds (LS) and Sheffield (S).
• Fears are also growing about the widening gap in electric car ownership which shows that EV deserts are emerging in parts of northern England.
• OneHome CEO is calling on the UK Government to cancel or delay the planned road tax for EVs in 2025 insisting it will widen the gap in EV ownership.

(24 September, 2024) An investigation into electric car ownership by climate solutions charity, One Home, today reveals that the Stockport postcode area (SK) tops the list of the country’s 20 EV hotspots.

Freedom of information (FOI) data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) outlining the amount of pure electric cars registered to each postcode area of the UK shows that it’s home to almost 98,000 registered pure electric cars – more than any other location in the UK.

The area – which includes parts of Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire – beats the Slough postcode area (SL) in second place, home to Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead, with over 91,000 registered electric cars.

In third place is the Swindon (SN) postcode area, which includes towns Chippenham, Marlborough and Royal Wootton Bassett and counts 51,733 cars within its boundaries.

Meanwhile, Manchester’s postcode area (M) sits outside the top 20 at 23 with just 9,841 registered pure electric cars, behind other northern localities such as Leeds (L) in seventh place with over 41,000 and Sheffield (S) in 14th place with 13,154.

Many of the cars in the top 20 list will be registered to fleet companies.

The investigation has also uncovered stark disparities in ownership levels across the United Kingdom, and warns that ‘EV deserts’ are being created in less affluent parts of northern England along with rural areas in Scotland and Wales.

A list of the UK’s top 20 EV deserts features Scottish postcode areas Hebrides (HS) and Lerwick (ZE) in first and second place, having the lowest number of registered pure electric cars with 133 and 168 respectively.

Wigan’s postcode area (WN), which also incorporates parts of Greater Manchester, is at number 15 with just 2,405.

Whilst the lowest ownership figures can be attributed to lower population density, English postcode areas covering larger towns and cities feature extensively in the list.

Furthermore, of the top 20 areas with the fewest registered electric cars, 75% are in Scotland and the north of England, including Blackpool (FH), England’s most deprived local authority**, in 13th place with 2,244 registered electric cars.

In London, its famous ‘W’ postcode – home to the well-heeled neighbourhoods of Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham and Notting Hill – is officially the city’s electric vehicle hotspot with over 32,000 registered electric cars on its streets.

This means the West London postcode area is home to over 40% of the city’s total EV population, which stands at 74,773. The EC and WC postcode areas have the fewest at 951 and 414 cars, respectively.

FOI data also reveals that the number of pure electric cars on UK roads has increased by almost 15% since 2023***, now surpassing the one million milestone in 2024 – with a total of 1,121,001 registered within the country as of 11 August of this year*.

One Home CEO and leading environmental scientist, Angela Terry said: “The good news is that electric cars are rapidly gaining in popularity with numbers on UK roads surpassing the one million mark in 2024, and Stockport should be applauded for its adoption of EVs. As new car sales increase, second-hand market prices are becoming more affordable.

However, it’s concerning to see a widening chasm between levels of electric car ownership in rural areas and in disadvantaged towns and villages, particularly in the north of England and Scotland, compared to more affluent areas in the south.

Electric vehicles must not become the preserve of the wealthy. They are cheaper to run than petrol or diesel cars, and everyone should be entitled to make lifestyle changes which improve levels of air pollution on the streets where they live and reduce their carbon footprint.

I am calling on the Chancellor to scrap or, at the very least, delay plans to impose road tax on electric vehicles in 2025 at the upcoming Budget. Removal of incentives to buy electric cars is absolutely ludicrous and signals a major step backwards for the UK, given the transport sector is still the biggest contributor to our country’s carbon dioxide emissions overall.

EV sales need to increase, not decrease, and drivers, particularly those in less affluent areas, should be helped to make the switch rather than have further financial obstacles placed in their path.”

One Home is a UK charity which aims to help households adapt to a low cost, low carbon lifestyle and provides impartial information and advice on practical solutions that improve people’s lives whilst saving money and reducing carbon emissions. For more information, visit One Home, or download the charity’s energy saving guide.

-ENDS-

*DVLA data obtained through a Freedom of Information request details the amount of pure electric cars registered to every postcode area in the UK – correct as of 11 August 2024, the latest DVLA data available.

**Blackpool is cited as being the most deprived local authority based on rank and score in the The English Indices of Deprivation 2019 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

***Increase from 978,387 pure EVs (BEVs) at end of 2023, compared to 1,121,001 on 11 August 2024 = increase of 14.5% (2023 figures sourced from Zap Map)

Notes to editors

For more information please contact:

Sam Carlisle at sam.carlisle@causecommunications.co.uk or Jenna Sloan at jenna.sloan@causecommunications.co.uk

About Angela Terry

One Home was founded by Angela Terry MSc MEI, an environmental scientist with over 20 years’ experience in the renewables industry. Angela set up One Home to raise awareness of positive climate solutions and help UK households to adapt to a low cost, low carbon lifestyle. Angela was a pioneer of community energy in the UK as Development Director for Energy4All. She was also Head of Wood Fuel for the Forestry Commission, Policy Manager for RES, and a carbon scientist in New Zealand.

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