Which regions have the most EV charging points?

New league tables showing which regions of the UK have the most charging points for drivers of electric vehicles, have been published by the government.

The most per 100,000 people are in London, followed by Scotland, while Yorkshire is the worst by that measure.

Outside London, Orkney and Milton Keynes have the most. But Barrow-in-Furness and Scilly each have none.

The government is offering local authorities £5m in funding for new charging points, in a bid to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Scottish Power estimates that in order to achieve this, the UK needs to have 25 million charging points for electric vehicles – the equivalent of installing 4,000 a day – and 23 million electric heat pumps to replace domestic gas boilers, at a cost of nearly £300bn.

Scottish Power’s chief executive, Keith Anderson, said that people needed to see there was a network in place in order for them to change, for example, to cleaner modes of transport.

Last month, the government announced that drivers of electric cars across the UK could soon be using special green number plates under new plans.

The aim is to make it possible for local authorities to allow zero-emission vehicles to benefit from incentives such as cheaper parking.

The government hopes it will boost electric car sales, helping it achieve its 2050 target of net zero emissions.

But Friends of the Earth said that without better financial incentives and more charging points, little would change.

Critics say it could foster resentment and a scrappage scheme for fuel-burning cars would be better.