Private ownership of electric cars continued to gather pace in Scotland during the first quarter of 2026, according to new analysis by The AA.
Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics show there were 71,600 privately owned battery electric cars on Scotland’s roads at the end of the first quarter of 2026.
That is up by 22,312 or 45.3% on the same period last year and by 6,260 from the end of 2025, a rise of 9.6% in three months.
Of the 110,299 electric cars on Scotland’s roads at the end of the first quarter of 2026, 38,699 were company cars, accounting for 35.1% of the total. Company-owned EVs were up by 1,244 (3.3%) on the previous quarter and by 5,879 (17.9%) compared with the same period last year.
Overall, there are roughly 2.6 million cars on Scotland’s roads.
“The latest figures suggest private demand for electric cars continues to strengthen,” said the AA.
“Greater model choice, improving battery technology and a buoyant used EV market are helping to bring electric motoring within reach of more households than ever before …
“The AA’s June EV Readiness Index also suggested that ‘range anxiety’ is increasingly being replaced by ‘pump anxiety’.
“Following the conflict in the Middle East, higher oil prices have driven up the cost of petrol and diesel, making the lower day-to-day running costs of electric vehicles an increasingly important consideration for many drivers.
“Growth is also becoming increasingly widespread across Scotland.
“While Edinburgh continues to have one of the country’s largest concentrations of privately owned EVs, the fastest rates of growth are now being seen elsewhere, highlighting how electric motoring is becoming a mainstream choice rather than one confined to early adopters.”
North Lanarkshire recorded the fastest annual growth in private EV ownership, increasing by 58.3% over the year. It was followed by North Ayrshire (57.2%), South Ayrshire (56.3%), South Lanarkshire (55.5%) and East Ayrshire (52.4%).
At the other end of the table, Orkney Islands recorded the slowest growth at 20.1%, followed by Shetland Islands (23.8%), Na h-Eileanan Siar (32.8%) and the City of Edinburgh (34.0%).
“Edinburgh’s comparatively slower rate of growth reflects its position as one of Scotland’s earliest adopters of electric vehicles, with faster growth now being seen in other parts of the country,” said the AA.
AA President Edmund King said: “Private ownership of electric cars in Scotland continues to move from strength to strength. More than 6,000 additional privately owned electric cars were added in the first three months of 2026, showing that more drivers are making the switch to electric motoring.
“It’s encouraging to see where that growth is taking place. The strongest increases are no longer confined to the areas that embraced electric cars first. North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire are all seeing particularly strong growth, demonstrating that electric motoring is continuing to spread right across Scotland.
“The continued expansion of the used EV market is helping to bring electric motoring within reach of many more households. Higher fuel prices following the conflict in the Middle East have reminded many drivers just how expensive petrol and diesel can become, making the long-term running costs of an EV even more attractive.
“There is still more work to do on charging infrastructure, particularly for those 40% of households without any dedicated off-street parking.”