Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Autotrader Maps UK EV Interest Gaps, Flags Rural Scotland and South West Lag

Postcode-level data points to a two-speed shift to electric cars unless policy directly tackles rural barriers.

Overview

  • Autotrader says 31.2% of users viewed at least one EV advert in the past 90 days, with pronounced regional variation in interest.
  • KW in Wick, Scotland recorded the lowest EV advert-viewing share at 21.4%, while WA in Warrington, Cheshire topped the list at 35.9%.
  • Scotland and south‑west England dominate the bottom‑ten list, which Autotrader links to rural distances and practicality concerns rather than a lack of appetite.
  • Total EV advert views rose 28% year-on-year versus 2024 as choice and affordability improved, with brands expanding from about 40 pre‑pandemic to roughly 72 and manufacturers discounting.
  • Autotrader urges extending the electric car grant to used models and rethinking EV taxation, as the government consults on a 3p-per-mile charge from April 2028 and notes two-in-five used EVs are under £20,000 with running-cost savings of up to about £1,400 a year.