Portsmouth ranks last among 56 UK cities for EV ownership experience despite strong charging infrastructure
By Eve
A study by Wolf River Electric has placed Portsmouth 56th out of 56 UK cities and towns for electric vehicle ownership, with an overall score of 16.47. While the city records 49 charging points per 1,000 EVs, one of the stronger infrastructure scores, it is held back by low EV uptake at just 10 EVs per 10,000 people and the highest electricity costs in the study with a normalised score of 56. The research assessed factors including charging infrastructure, electricity costs, EV adoption, property access, repair services and local emissions.
Why it matters
The findings highlight that charging infrastructure alone does not guarantee a strong EV market, with electricity costs and adoption rates playing critical roles in shaping demand for charge point operators. Portsmouth's weak performance despite decent infrastructure may signal limited near term growth opportunities for CPOs in the area unless broader economic and adoption barriers are addressed.
Source
- Original title
- “Portsmouth’s surprising rank among the UK’s best and worst places to own an EV”
- Published
- 24 August 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Policy & Market
- Place
- United Kingdom
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