Last updated on December 25th, 2025 at 09:44 am
New data from one of the UK’s largest dealer groups is offering fresh insight into how, when and where electric vehicle drivers are charging their cars – and what that means for the future shape of the country’s public charging infrastructure.
Arnold Clark has analysed tens of thousands of charging sessions across more than 50 of its ultra-rapid charging hubs, revealing distinct patterns in daily, weekly and regional charging behaviour. The findings come a year after the group invested £30 million to launch Arnold Clark Charge, its own nationwide ultra-rapid EV charging network, now spanning locations from Aberdeen to Southampton .
For an industry grappling with questions around charger availability, utilisation and return on investment, the data paints a detailed picture of how drivers are actually using public infrastructure – and challenges some long-held assumptions about peak demand.
Midday, not rush hour, drives demand
Perhaps the most striking finding is that the busiest hour across the Arnold Clark Charge network is not during the morning or evening commute, but between 11am and noon. Almost one in 10 charging sessions – 9.5 per cent – took place during that single hour.
Peak demand then continues through to around 3pm, suggesting that many EV drivers are topping up during the working day rather than around traditional rush-hour peaks. According to Arnold Clark, this pattern likely reflects drivers integrating charging into lunch breaks or daytime errands rather than planning journeys specifically around charging stops.
For operators, this has implications for site design and amenities. Charging hubs that can comfortably accommodate short daytime dwell times – and offer nearby food, drink or workspace options – may be better aligned with real-world behaviour than those designed solely around high-throughput motorway use.
Weekends dominate charging behaviour
While weekdays see steady usage, weekends clearly dominate. Saturday emerged as the most popular day for charging across the network, with Sunday also significantly busier than most weekdays. In contrast, Tuesday was the quietest day overall.
Arnold Clark suggests this weekend surge reflects a mix of increased leisure travel and the habits of drivers without access to home charging. For those living in flats or terraced housing without off-street parking, weekends may represent the most convenient time to visit a public charging hub and fully recharge.
The quieter start to the working week may also indicate that many drivers begin Monday with sufficient charge carried over from weekend sessions, reducing the need for immediate top-ups.
For network planners, this reinforces the need for resilience and capacity at weekends – traditionally a challenging time for maintenance and staffing – as well as pricing and availability models that reflect uneven demand across the week.
Charging beyond business hours
Although Arnold Clark Charge sites are typically associated with dealership business hours of 8am to 8pm, the data shows that a significant proportion of drivers are charging outside these times. Around 13 per cent of all charging sessions took place overnight or late in the evening.
This usage highlights the diversity of EV drivers relying on public infrastructure, from shift workers and night-time drivers to long-distance travellers passing through at unsociable hours. It also underlines the importance of 24/7 access, particularly as EV adoption expands beyond early adopters with predictable commuting patterns.
Arnold Clark’s Group Sustainability Manager, Pablo Levi, said the findings validate the company’s decision to prioritise round-the-clock availability when rolling out its network. He noted that drivers are using the chargers “at weekends, at night, and in locations where home charging simply isn’t an option”, reinforcing the social as well as commercial role of public charging infrastructure .
How long drivers stay plugged in
Session length also varies across the week. From Sunday to Thursday, the average charging session lasts around 35 minutes, rising to 38 minutes on Fridays and nearly 39 minutes on Saturdays.
The longer weekend dwell times suggest that drivers feel less time pressure when charging outside the working week, potentially using the opportunity to shop, eat or socialise nearby. Interestingly, the proportion of sessions lasting longer than 15 minutes remains broadly stable throughout the week, though slightly lower on Mondays and Tuesdays.
For ultra-rapid charging providers, this balance is delicate. Longer sessions may reduce overall throughput at busy sites, but they also reflect genuine user needs and the realities of how people plan their time around charging.
Geography matters
Unsurprisingly, Arnold Clark’s data shows that charging activity is highest in the Central Belt of Scotland, where the group has a dense dealership footprint and where many chargers are embedded within residential communities.
In urban areas such as Glasgow’s West End, these sites play a critical role for drivers who lack access to home charging. Rather than serving as occasional top-up points, they function as essential energy hubs, enabling EV ownership in areas dominated by on-street parking.
This supports a growing consensus within the industry that community-based charging – located close to where people live – is just as important as high-profile motorway and destination chargers.
Elsewhere, usage patterns reflect local geography and travel behaviour. Carlisle Motorstore, located just off the M6, attracts high levels of use from long-distance travellers and commercial drivers. Aberdeen Mazda, positioned at the city’s entrance, serves a mix of urban commuters and regional traffic. Meanwhile, the Milton Keynes Car & Van Rental site appears to benefit from proximity to London and the Ultra Low Emission Zone, where EV penetration is already relatively high.
These variations highlight why a one-size-fits-all approach to charging infrastructure is unlikely to succeed. Site location, surrounding land use and local EV adoption rates all shape how chargers are used.
Implications for the wider EV market
As the UK moves towards the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, understanding real-world charging behaviour is becoming increasingly critical. Data like this not only helps operators optimise their networks, but also informs policymakers, local authorities and investors seeking to close gaps in provision.
Jamie Green, Arnold Clark’s Head of Charge Point and Energy Infrastructure, said the insights underline the role of reliable public charging in driving EV adoption, particularly in communities where private charging is not feasible. Strategic investment, he argued, is essential to support both today’s drivers and future growth in electric mobility .
For EV drivers, the findings may offer reassurance that public charging is evolving in line with actual needs rather than theoretical models. For the industry, they provide a timely reminder that behaviour – not just vehicle numbers – must sit at the heart of infrastructure planning.
As charging networks expand and mature, the challenge will be to balance convenience, capacity and cost while serving an increasingly diverse user base. Arnold Clark’s data suggests that flexibility – in opening hours, location and design – will be a defining feature of successful charging networks in the years ahead.
Discussion about this post