uk-ev-charge-points-map

Gearing Up for the EV-Revolution

View the A30 map
View the A1 map

About the map

It’s great to see more electric vehicles (EVs) out and about on our roads. However, long journeys by electric vehicle require a little more planning to ensure you don’t run out of power far from a charging point, which can sometimes be few and far between.

We wanted to see how EV-ready two of Britain’s longest and busiest A-roads are for the growing wave of EV ownership. So we calculated the highway distances between 24/7 public charging points along two key routes: Edinburgh to London (A1) and London to Cornwall (A30/A303).

Why it works

The map symbolises segments of each route according to the driving distance between public charge points located on or near (within 1km) the road.

Using a colour scheme inspired by traffic-lights, readers can quickly identify the stretches that are more (and less) EV-ready.

Paring each map down to the key elements provides a simple but effective method to communicate the map’s message. Similarly, small design touches—turning the legend into a battery and adding ‘glow’ to the line segments - help convey the map’s electric theme.

Important Steps

  • 1.

    Use the Select by Attribute tool to select the A-Roads by number (either A1 or A30 and A303) from the OS Open Roads shapefile and create a new feature layer from the selected features.

    OS Open Roads

  • 2.

    Dissolve the new feature layer to create a single line segment spanning the length of your route.

  • 3.

    Use the Split Line at Point tool to split your route at each charge point located within a 1km search radius from your route.

    Split Line at Point - Help

  • 4.

    Use a graduated colour scheme to symbolise the now-split route according to length of each segment.

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Requirements

  • Data and software

    Esri UK created the map using ArcGIS Pro 3.0. The map uses data from Ordnance Survey’s Open Roads, the National Chargepoint Registry that is maintained by the Department for Transport, and the Office for National Statistics.

  • Analysis

    Working with the rich OS Open Roads dataset requires a little know-how on how to merge shapefiles, select by attributes, and dissolve feature layers. Yet once you have your route set up, the Split Line at Point tool makes segmenting the line at each charge point a breeze.

  • Time

    The maps took around three hours to create and symbolise. However, once the workflow and symbology is established, the process can quickly be repeated for other routes.

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Tips and tricks

  • Convert layout elements to graphics

    Converting elements such as the scale bar and legend allow you to fine-tune your map’s appearance.

  • Make your lines glow

    Add transparent stroke layers to your line to create a glowing effect.

    Lightsaber Lines – I mean Firefly Lines

  • Rotate your map

    Emphasise your route or area of interest by rotating your map within an activated map frame.

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Links & Resources

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James Findlay, Graduate

Map Author

James Findlay

James is on the Graduate Programme at Esri UK. He loves cycling, sustainable transport and cinematography.

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