The Midlands region where electric cars are becoming the most popular

New research has revealed the Midlands region where electric cars are becoming the most popular. The study discovered the areas with the highest number of internet searches for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

The number of internet searches were analysed by West Country Electrical Services over a two-year-period between 2021 and 2023. It showed an increase in interest across the board but highlighted where internet searches had particularly spiked.

Shropshire came out top of the list of local counties. In 2021, the county had a search volume of 170 but this rose to 880 in 2023, representing an increase of 417.60%.

READ MORE: Furious residents slam council’s response over speeding road

Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join

The West Midlands came second where it's search volume rose from 880 in 2021 to 3,600 in 2023 - a 309% increase. Meanwhile Worcestershire came third with a 284.6% increase, rising from 260 to 1,000.

More locally, Wolverhampton topped the list out of West Midlands towns and cities between 2021 and 2023. The Black Country city recorded a remarkable 357.14% increase in searches for EV charging stations (rising from 70 searches to 320 searches).

Coventry came second with a 321.4% rise (from 140 searches to 590 searches), while Birmingham came third with a 310.2% increase (from 390 to 1,600 searches).

A spokesperson for the study said the demand for EV charging stations, as evidenced by online search volume, outpaces the availability of public charging infrastructure. In 2023, nearly 135,000 searches were recorded based on average monthly figures across the UK, while the latest data from Zapmap indicates that only 6343 public charge points are currently available in the West Midlands.

Speaking on the findings, Ed Fuller from West Country Electrical Services said: "The sharp increase in searches for EV charging stations, reflects the growing demand for infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles. This research highlights how urgently people are seeking charging solutions. The trend in this data emphasizes the need for faster expansion of public charging networks to keep pace with consumer interest and adoption of electric vehicles."