Centres were ranked over parking spots and charger provision
A major Bristol shopping centre has been named one of the most electric vehicle-friendly destinations in the UK, according to new research into the accessibility of EV charging points.
The Mall at Cribbs Causeway has secured a joint tenth place in a study by Zenith, a leading UK vehicle leasing and fleet management company, which assessed how well shopping centres across the country are equipped to support the growing number of electric vehicle drivers.
The research ranked 60 of the UK’s busiest shopping centres based on the proportion of EV-equipped parking spots, the availability of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers, and the number of charging spaces per 1,000 daily visitors.
Out of 7,000 parking spaces at Cribbs Causeway, 24 are equipped with EV chargers, with two-thirds (67%) of these offering rapid or ultra-rapid charging. The centre sees an average of 38,356 visitors per day, translating to approximately 0.63 EV spaces per 1,000 people.
Despite a relatively low percentage of EV-capable bays (0.34%), Cribbs Causeway’s provision of faster charging options and its large visitor numbers helped it rank above several other major retail destinations.
The findings come as part of a broader report by Zenith, which revealed that one in five shopping centres in the UK still do not offer any EV charging at all. Among those that do, just 35% provide rapid or ultra-rapid chargers, and on average, only 1% of parking spaces are fitted with EV charging points.
Andy Wolff, commercial director at Zenith’s corporate division, said improving access to EV charging in high-traffic areas such as shopping centres is key to supporting the UK’s transition to electric vehicles.
“To change behaviours, we need to make electric vehicles more accessible to everyday users and improve overall consumer confidence in EVs, and for most, this starts with the public charging network,” Andy said.
“Our recent EVXperience report revealed that 64% of EV drivers worry about the availability of public chargers, and our study shows that whilst some progress is being made, more is needed to future-proof the UK’s charging network to avoid hindering the transition to EVs.”
He added that places like Cribbs Causeway, where visitors can shop and dine while charging their vehicles, play an essential role in normalising electric vehicle use.
Zenith’s study was based on data from parking platforms such as ZapMap and analysed visitor numbers from company and industry sources. Each shopping centre was given a score out of 100 based on the three criteria, with Cribbs Causeway earning a total of 66.6.