Edinburgh named the UK’s most EV-friendly airport – ahead of Heathrow and Birmingham

Edinburgh leads the way

Edinburgh Airport has topped the inaugural Airport EV Readiness Index, scoring 16 out of 20 – the highest in the country – thanks to its 35 onsite charging bays and clear, easy-to-follow online guidance for drivers.

It shares the top score with London City Airport and Aberdeen Airport, with Edinburgh taking first place based on its larger charging provision – the biggest of any UK airport.

The result is a significant one. London Heathrow, the UK's busiest airport handling over 80 million passengers a year, ranked 14th with a score of just 9 out of 20, having no official onsite charging.

London Gatwick, the UK's second busiest airport, ranked joint 4th. Edinburgh, by contrast, offers more onsite charging bays than any other airport in the index and scores maximum marks for the quality of its driver guidance.

More choice for drivers

Overall, 15 of the UK's 25 major airports now offer official onsite EV charging, giving drivers more options than ever before when planning their journey.

Even where onsite charging is limited, many airports are improving guidance and directing drivers to nearby public charging networks.

Real progress, with more to come

Naomi Nye, Head of Sales, said:

“Edinburgh's result is exceptional. More than 30 onsite bays, maximum marks for guidance, and a score that puts it ahead of airports handling far more traffic. It shows that the size of an airport is no excuse for poor EV provision and sets a clear benchmark for others to follow.

For drivers travelling through airports with more limited facilities, a bit of planning goes a long way. Charging before you set off, checking nearby public charge points, or choosing a meet and greet service that includes charging can all help ensure a smooth journey.”

Top 10 uk airports for ev drivers

1 . Edinburgh
2=. London City
2=. Aberdeen
4=. Liverpool John Lennon
4= London Gatwick
4=. Bristol
4=. George Best Belfast City
8=. East Midlands
8=. London Luton
10=. Glasgow

Full rankings

Methodology

The Airport EV Readiness Index was produced by Drax Electric Vehicles and ranks 25 UK airports on a 20-point scale across four categories:

Onsite charging provision (max 9 points):

• 5 points awarded for offering official onsite charging, plus up to 4 additional points based on number of bays:
  1–3 bays (1 point); 4–9 bays (2 points); 10–19 bays (3 points); 20+ bays (4 points)

Website guidance quality (max 4 points):

• Scored against five criteria: dedicated EV page, explanation of location, access process, pricing, and inclusion of a map
  
• 4 points awarded for meeting 3 or more criteria; 2 points for fewer than 3; 0 points for no usable guidance

Nearby public charging within 10 miles (max 5 points):

• Scored using banded tiers based on Open Charge data to ensure fair comparison between locations

Official meet and greet with EV charging (max 2 points)

Where airports received equal scores, rankings were determined by total number of onsite charging bays.

Only official, airport-operated services were included. Third-party meet and greet providers were excluded.

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