New research ranks the most EV-friendly holiday destinations
UK drivers have been steadily adopting EVs at a growing rate. Electric car sales in the UK have increased year on year and 16% of new car sales in 2023 are now fully electric vehicles, only 11% of new car sales were electric in 2022. This growth is expected to continue, especially with freer supply of semiconductors in 2023.
But how EV-ready are UK drivers when it’s time to pack their bags, put on the Out Of Office, and head off on holiday?
Revealing UK attitudes to EV holidays
In a brand new study with market research institute YouGov, we have taken a deep dive into the opinions of UK EV drivers and those considering an EV as their next vehicle to understand their attitudes, frustrations, and demands for the EV industry.
57% of Brits want to drive electric on their holiday*
What’s out there: reviewing regional charging availability
We’ve also undertaken independent research into holiday charging availability. We’ve reviewed the holiday accommodation options in each county to understand how demand is matched by supply and see just how easy it is to vacation in an EV across the UK.
UK drivers want to drive electric on holiday at home and abroad
The YouGov survey results indicated that EV drivers and considerers have a strong preference towards EV friendly accommodation while on holiday. The survey revealed that 57% of EV drivers would prioritize staying at holiday accommodation that offers an EV charger and only 17% of drivers said they wouldn’t prioritize an EV charger when staying at a hotel / holiday let.
Results based on multiple choice responses
EV drivers and considerers were also keen to rent an EV when travelling. 54% of current EV drivers and those considering an EV said they would rent an EV while traveling in the UK and conversely only 28% of EV drivers would consider renting an ICE vehicle in the UK.
Results based on multiple choice responses
When questioned further 50% would even consider renting an EV when traveling abroad with only 34% of EV drivers and considerers saying that they would switch to an ICE vehicle when renting a vehicle abroad.
Results based on multiple choice responses
British EV drivers prefer electric even on holidays, but do holiday providers offer enough infrastructure for stress-free EV travel? Consider this: you travel 250 miles to a quaint town, ready to check in, only to find your EV battery at 5%. If your hotel offers charging, you're sorted. If not, it's a scramble to find the nearest fast charger. A significant opportunity lies ahead for holiday providers to ensure seamless charging experiences.
Where to go and where to steer clear of as an EV tourist
We’ve analyzed availability data from the UK’s most popular hotel and holiday rental accommodation platforms to learn the best spots for EV drivers. We reviewed multiple online travel/booking platforms and identified how many accommodation options there are available in each county and how many of them offer EV charging as a service. We then calculated the percentage for each area to reveal the best and worst places across the UK to travel for a UK EV staycation.
UK holiday charging infrastructure lagging behind
Unfortunately our data found that, on average, only an underwhelming 2.46% of holiday lets in the UK offer an EV charger on site. We also researched France and Germany which featured EV charging in 3.73% and 6.96% of their accommodation options respectively. So with the UK dramatically under indexing vs Europe, where should you vacation as an EV driver in the UK?
Scotland: the best electric staycation
Finding more available rooms and available EV charging
Fancy an island vacation? Why not the Isle of Wight?
London has the highest availability although EV driving might still be tricky
