Best and worst UK motorways for EV charging access
The M180 in Lincolnshire has been ranked the UK’s worst motorway for EV charging access, while the M60 Manchester orbital was found to be the best according to a new study.
The survey of of 35 motorways by Simpson & Partners showed that the 25-mile long M180 had just 0.22 EV charging stations per junction, meaning it has only two EV charging stations accessible within one mile of its nine junctions. The 89-mile M40 between London and Birmingham was slightly improved with 1.43 charging stations per junction, but still languished down in second worst thanks to its low junction density, providing drivers few opportunites to exit and charge their vehicles.
The third worst motorway for charging in the UK was the 26.5 mile M18 in Yorkshire with 0.92 charging stations per junction, meaning drivers cannot reliably access charging points at each exit.
At the other end of the spectrum, the 36-mile M60 Manchester orbital ranked best with an average of 4.57 charging stations per junction, with a high junction density of 1.03 junctions per mile. The North West fared strongly once again with the M65 in Lancashire claiming second. This 26-mile stretch has the highest ratio of charging stations at 5.79 per junction. Behind it, Scotland’s 60-mile-long M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh, has 4.15 stations per junction and 0.86 junctions per mile.
Alongside the M180, the M11 in the east of the country, the UK’s largest motorway – the M6 – and the M1 between London and Leeds fared somewhat poorly. The M11, which connects London to Cambridge, ranked seventh worst for accessibility and range anxiety with 3.11 charging stations per junction.
The 232-mile M6 has 218 chargers of varying speeds across its route, but its 232-mile length makes it hard for drivers to plan stops. As such, it was placed eighth worst. The M1, one of the country’s busiest motorways rounded out the top 10 worst list with 2.38 charging stations per junction across its 193 miles.
Regarding the findings, David Simpson, Simpson & Partners co-founder said: “The statistics released today show that EV drivers face vastly different charging experiences depending on which UK motorway they travel. The M180 has just two charging stations across nine junctions, creating significant anxiety for electric vehicle owners. The limited charging infrastructure on some of Britain’s major motorways risks becoming a barrier to wider EV adoption.
“With electric vehicles representing a growing share of new car sales, improving charging accessibility on these key routes must be a priority. However, it’s important to note that the average range of an EV is around 200 miles in ideal conditions, meaning that for many, charging before and after a motorway journey is enough.
“Modern EV charging stations can add significant range in just 20-30 minutes, but they’re only helpful if drivers can reach them. Most motorways were designed long before electric vehicles existed, although charging stations are now beginning to be added to service stations at most junctions to increase availability.”
Despite the new analysis, recent data published by charge point operator Jolt showed that 86.3% of motorists who have switched from a petrol or diesel car to an EV are no longer concerned about range anxiety or charger availability. Moreover, Zapmap found that there are now over 80,000 public EV chargers in the UK, with 8,670 charge points installed over the first six months of this year alone.
