Weekends are the most popular time for EV drivers to charge their cars, with Saturday topping the list, according to new data from car dealer Arnold Clark.
Following a £30m investment, the company now has 50 Arnold Clark Charge hubs across the UK and has assessed drivers’ charging habits to see how they use them.
The busiest time across the network is between 11am and noon, with 9.5% of all charging sessions logged during this hour alone, with peak charging times continuing until around 3pm.
The popularity of Saturday for charging has been explained by increased leisure travel or longer journeys over weekends. In contrast, Tuesday is the quietest day at charging hubs, suggesting that many drivers still have sufficient charge left from their weekend visits.
The business hours for Arnold Clark Charge are classed as 8am-8pm. However, around 13% of charging sessions take place outside of these hours. This data suggests that Arnold Clark Charge customers are not just commuters, but shift workers, night drivers and weekend travellers.
The company says this data validates the need for its investment in 24/7 ultra-rapid charging infrastructure to ensure availability outside regular business hours.
Pablo Levi, group sustainability manager at Arnold Clark, says: “This data demonstrates why our investment in ultra-rapid charging is so important for communities across the UK.
“We’re seeing drivers rely on Arnold Clark Charge not just during the day, but at weekends, at night, and in locations where home charging simply isn’t an option.
“By making charging accessible, reliable and convenient, we’re helping more people make the switch to electric easy.”
From Sunday to Thursday, the average time of a charging session is around 35 minutes. However, this rises to 38 minutes on Fridays and 39 minutes on Saturdays.
The proportion of charging sessions longer than 15 minutes appears to be relatively stable across the week, with slightly fewer on Mondays and Tuesdays.
While Arnold Clark Charge sites span the UK, from Aberdeen to Southampton, its data reveals that charging activity is highest in the Central Belt of Scotland, which is not surprising given Arnold Clark’s high footprint in this area.
As for other locations, Carlisle Motorstore, just off the M6, sees high footfall from long-distance travellers and commercial drivers. Aberdeen Mazda, positioned at the entrance to the city, serves as a gateway for both urban commuters and regional traffic. And Milton Keynes Car & Van Rental, with its proximity to London and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), likely benefits from higher EV penetration and policy-driven adoption.
Jamie Green, head of chargepoint and energy infrastructure, says: “EV adoption depends on reliable infrastructure and these insights highlight the essential role Arnold Clark Charge plays in communities across the UK.
“By investing in ultra-rapid charging where it’s needed most, we’re not only supporting drivers today but also driving forward the UK’s journey towards a low-carbon, sustainable transport future.”
