Edinburgh and West Lothian are two of the worst places in Scotland to own an electric car

The best and worst areas in Scotland to own an electric car have been revealed – and Edinburgh and the Lothians make both lists.

A study, which was conducted by CarGuide.co.uk, found that West Lothian is the third worst place to drive an electric car in the country.

In the county, there are only 9.8 charging points per 100,000 people, compared to the number one best area – the Orkney Islands, where there are 178.3 charging points for the same amount of people.

West Lothian has a population of 183,820 and 47 total public charging devices, ten of which are rapid chargers.

The study also did not reflect well on the Capital. Edinburgh, which has 14.3 charging points for every 100,000 people, was ranked seventh in the list of worst areas for electric car owners.

However, East Lothian was deemed the third best area to own an electric car, being beaten out by the Orkney Islands and Stirling.

The local authority has 118.6 charging devices per 100,000 people, and also has the eighth highest number of charging points at 128.

An electric vehicle re-charges at a point in Edinburgh. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The worst area in Scotland to own an electric car is East Dunbartonshire, which is closely followed by East Renfrewshire.

The study analysed the number of electric car charging points on ZapMap and ONS data to establish which local authority in Scotland has the highest number of charging points per 100,000 population.

CarGuide.co.uk founder, Olli Astley, said: “Whilst we at CarGuide.co.uk believe that Motorists getting into electric vehicles is the best way forward due to the benefits to the environment, the UK’s charging infrastructure still has a way to go.”

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