One in five UK shopping centres don’t have EV charging available, new study reveals

As more drivers make the transition to electric vehicles, the need for accessible charging infrastructure increases, especially in high-footfall places such as shopping centres to help EVs fit more seamlessly into everyday life.

With shopping centres playing a crucial role in supporting the growing adoption of electric vehicles, providing convenient places to charge while shopping, dining, and being entertained, a new study conducted by Zenith, the UK’s leading independent leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing business, has revealed the most EV-friendly shopping centres in the UK.

To find the most EV-friendly shopping centres, the study ranked the UK’s most popular shopping centres on three factors – the percentage of parking spots which had EV charging, the percentage of rapid charging (43kw+) or ultra rapid charging points (100kw+) available, and the number of EV parking spaces per 1,000 daily visitors.

The rankings were combined to give each shopping centre a score out of 100, with each ranking making up 33.3% of this score.

The top 10 most EV-friendly shopping centres are:

1. Trentham Shopping Village

Taking the top spot is Trentham Shopping Village in Stoke-on-Trent, which gained a final score of 89 out of 100.

The shopping centre has 20 EV charging spots out of 1,368 parking spaces (1.46%), and whilst this is not a huge amount, it still ranks higher than the average 1.25% across the shopping centres analysed. Of the EV chargers, 18 are rapid/ultra rapid (90%) meaning visitors have access to speedy charging.

With an average of 8,904 visitors a day, the shopping centre has 2.25 EV spaces per 1,000 visitors, one of the highest across those studied.

2. McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend

In second is McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Bridgend, with a final score of 87.6 out of 100. There are 26 EV charging spaces out of the centre’s 1,581 parking spaces (1.64%), and of those spaces, 12 are rapid/ultra rapid (46%). The shopping centre also ranks high for the number of EV spaces per 1,000 daily visitors, with 3.16 parking spots.

3. Resorts World Birmingham

Following in third is Resorts World in Birmingham, which gained a final score of 86.1 out of 100. With a large car park of 16,000 spaces, there are 264 EV charging spaces available (1.65%), and of those, 40 are rapid/ultra rapid (15%). On average, the shopping centre has 10,959 visitors a day, and this is around 24 EV spaces per 1,000 visitors – the highest of all the shopping centres analysed.

4. Westfield London

In fourth is Westfield London, with a final score of 83.25 out of 100. Out of the 4,000 parking spaces, 56 have EV charging (1.40%), and of those, 48 are rapid/ultra rapid (86%). With an average of 76,438 daily visitors, this equates to 0.73 EV spots per 1,000 people. Interestingly, Westfield Stratford City, its sister site which is located out of the city centre, did not score as high, with a final score of just 15.2 out of 100.

5. Metrocentre

Following in fifth is the Metrocentre in Gateshead, which gained a final score of 81.80 out of 100. The shopping centre has 127 EV charging spots out of its 10,000 parking spaces (1.27%) and of those, 20 are rapid/ultra rapid chargers (16%). The shopping centre scores high for the number of EV spaces per 1,000 people, as with an average of 39,452 daily visitors, there are 3.22 EV spaces per 1,000 visitors.

One in five shopping centres don’t have EV charging available

The study by Zenith highlighted a significant gap in EV charging infrastructure at shopping centres, as 20% of shopping centres analysed didn’t have EV charging available – or just 1 in 5 – leaving EV drivers having to use alternative charging options nearby, such as on-street charging points.

Of the shopping centres with EV charging available, just 35% had rapid or ultra rapid charging options available, meaning the majority of shoppers using the EV charging facilities would only be able to access charging speeds of under 43kw, subjecting them to longer wait times for a full charge.

The study also revealed that on average, just 1% of car parking spaces at shopping centres have EV charging, meaning charging spaces will be in high demand as more people make the switch to electric vehicles.

Andy Wolff, Commercial Director at Zenith’s Corporate division, says, “To change behaviours, we need to make electric vehicles more accessible to everyday users and improve overall consumer confidence in EVs, and for most, this starts with the public charging network.

“Our recent EVXperience report revealed that 64% of EV drivers worry about the availability of public chargers, and our study shows that whilst some progress is being made, more is needed to future-proof the UK’s charging network to avoid hindering the transition to EVs.

“Recent figures issued by the Department for Transport stated that the UK public charging network had grown by 37% in the last year which is an encouraging sign, and the Government’s recent commitments to invest in EV infrastructure is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. However, to help the Government achieve its target of phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, having more chargers, particularly in high-traffic areas, would ensure EV drivers can easily charge their cars and reduce the competition for limited spaces.

“Shopping centres are a great example of the high traffic areas which need to be targeted when installing further EV infrastructure, as they offer people a place to shop, eat and be entertained whilst their EV is charging, and are already a regular place to visit in most drivers’ routines. Creating this ease and familiarity of routine for drivers during the transition to EV will be key in encouraging them to make the switch.”