Cities with slowest EV charging times and least amount of chargers revealed
2 June 2025, 14:35
The British cities with the worst charges times and EV charging ports have been revealed in new research.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Electric vehicle infrastructure is a concern for users as availability of chargers across the country varies.
New research from Available Car has revealed the best the worst cities to own an electric vehicle - looking at the cost, speed and access to chargers for drivers.
Researchers surveyed the number of charging points per 10,000 people in a fie mile radius of 53 British city centres, excluding London.
They researched into the average cost and time it takes to change half of an EV battery.
Liverpool was found with the lowest number of chargers.
It has just two chargers per 100,000 people.
Read More: Drivers can save £1,100 a year with scheme starting this week
Read More: Illegal vapes still on sale in Nottingham just one day after national ban
10 Cities with the fewest EV chargers
1. Liverpool - 2.0
2. Newcastle-upon-Tyne - 2.4
3. Bradford - 2.6
4. Leeds - 2.6
5. Sheffield - 3.0
6. Bristol - 3.4
7. Birmingham - 3.5
8. Southend-on-sea - 3.8
9. Durham - 4.0
10. Canterbury - 4.5
Newcastle came second to last with just 2.4 chargers per 100,000.
Bradford and Leeds were following up with 2.6 per 100,000 each.
Smaller cities scored much higher as EV chargers were more accessible.
Ripon has emerged as the UK’s most EV-friendly city when it comes to access to charging points, boasting a leading 63.1 chargers per 100,000 people.
That puts the North Yorkshire city ahead of Salisbury, which came in second with 43.7 chargers per 100,000.
New figures from Available Car have revealed huge regional differences in how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle with Leicester named as the city with the slowest charging times.
On average, it takes drivers in Leicester 8.25 hours to reach just half a battery charge.
A spokesperson for Available Car said via The Sun: “The city’s slower charging infrastructure highlights the need for investment in faster chargers to support the growing demand for electric vehicles.
“Without quicker charging options, Leicester may face challenges in encouraging more drivers to switch to electric.”
However, there is some good news for EV owners in the city, Leicester was also found to be the cheapest place in the UK to charge up, with a half-full battery costing around £12.60 on average.
Brighton & Hove and Portsmouth followed closely behind Leicester in the slowest charging rankings with average times of 6.24 hours and 5.67 hours respectively to reach half charge.
In contrast, Wakefield recorded the fastest charging time among all cities surveyed, taking just 0.8 hours on average less than an hour to hit 50% battery.
10 Cities with the slowest EV charging time
1. Leicester - 8.25 hours
2. Brighton & Hove - 6.24 hours
3. Portsmouth - 5.67 hours
4. Coventry - 5.45 hours
5. Oxford - 4.65 hours
6. York - 4.58 hours
7. Bath - 4.54 hours
8. Leeds - 4.51 hours
9. Manchester - 4.46 hours
10. Norwich - 4.28 hours
The analysis was based on charging a Tesla Model Y, used as the benchmark vehicle across all locations.
Their report adds: "Making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) should be an exciting step towards greener, more sustainable driving.
"However, one of the biggest barriers preventing drivers from switching from petrol or diesel to electric vehicles is having to rely on their local charging infrastructure, particularly the time it takes to charge and the cost involved.
"Unlike petrol and diesel drivers, EV owners must navigate the UK's charging network, where charging speeds and costs vary significantly based on location and charger type."
