Study highlights top 10 councils with most eco-friendly drivers
New data has revealed the top ten local authorities with the most environmentally conscious drivers – with Westminster coming out on top.
The study, conducted by accident compensation experts Claims.co.uk, examined the number of ultra-low emission licensed vehicles in each U.K. local authority, according to the most recent data collected in the third quarter of 2023 from GOV.UK. The percentage of ultra-low emission vehicles was then compared against the number of all licensed vehicles to determine the local authorities with the most eco-friendly drivers in 2024.
Westminster takes the crown with the highest percentage of environmentally friendly vehicles. In the third quarter of 2023, the central London local authority had 18,331 ultra-low emission vehicles compared to 65,900 with all fuel types, equating to 28% of all licensed vehicles.
Stockport is the second-best local authority for sustainable drivers. The Northwestern local authority has 114,400 ultra-low emission licensed vehicles. There are a total of 425,400 licensed vehicles, 27% of which are battery, plug-in hybrid or other electric vehicles.
The City of London takes the bronze medal. In the local authority, 23% of all licensed vehicles are ultra-low emission vehicles. There are 734 plug-in, hybrid or other electric vehicles in the local authority compared to 3,200 of all licensed vehicles, according to the data from GOV.UK.
Windsor and Maidenhead is the fourth-best local authority for electric vehicle drivers. There are 194,900 licensed vehicles in the local authority. Out of these, 43,435 are battery, plug-in hybrid or other electric vehicles, 22% of all licensed vehicles as of quarter three of 2023.
Slough ranks in fifth place. Out of 254,400 vehicles on the road, 47,969 are electric vehicles, which means that 19% of all licensed vehicles are environmentally friendly in the local authority.
According to the study, 18% of all licensed vehicles are electric in Peterborough, ranking it sixth. The eastern local authority has 222,100 licensed vehicles on the road; 39,202 are battery, plug-in or other electric vehicles, as reported by GOV.UK.
Swindon is the seventh-most environmentally friendly local authority for drivers. The Southwestern local authority has 55,982 ultra-low emission licensed vehicles. There are a total of 321,600 licensed vehicles, 17% of which are battery, plug-in hybrid or other electric vehicles.
Milton Keynes and Hammersmith and Fulham rank in joint eighth, with 14% of all licensed vehicles reported as electric. South Gloucestershire follows in ninth place, with ultra-low emission vehicles representing 13% of all licensed vehicles, and Stirling ranks in tenth, with 12% of all licensed vehicles being environmentally friendly as of quarter three of 2023.
A spokesperson at Claims.co.uk has commented on the study: “Electric vehicles save more than three times the amount of carbon emissions than petrol cars. This study has highlighted the local authorities with the highest percentage of electric vehicles to fuel-based vehicles, with the most environmentally friendly being found in Westminster, Stockport and the City of London.
“It is interesting to see mostly southern local authorities in the top ten best locations for environmentally conscious drivers. In 2024, Zap-Map recorded 18,628 electric vehicle charging stations in Greater London compared to only 4,696 in Scotland. Therefore, with a greater emphasis on funding electric vehicle charging stations in Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, these areas may become more accessible for electric vehicle drivers in the future.”
Table: Local authorities with the most eco-conscious drivers
| Rank | U.K. local authority | Total number of ultra-low emission licensed vehicles (Q3 2023) | Ultra-low emission licensed vehicles as a percentage of all licensed vehicles |
| 1 | Westminster | 18,331 | 28% |
| 2 | Stockport | 114,400 | 27% |
| 3 | City of London | 734 | 23% |
| 4 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 43,435 | 22% |
| 5 | Slough | 47,969 | 19% |
| 6 | Peterborough | 39,202 | 18% |
| 7 | Swindon | 55,982 | 17% |
| =8 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 7,351 | 14% |
| =8 | Milton Keynes | 52,759 | 14% |
| 9 | South Gloucestershire | 42,669 | 13% |
| 10 | Stirling | 9,564 | 12% |
*The percentage of ultra-low emission licensed vehicles has been rounded to the closest number.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
