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Public charging networks and route planners (new EV owners start here) - READ FIRST POST FOR UPDATES

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143K views 148 replies 60 participants last post by  MarlowMallard  
C
#1 · (Edited)
This page is updated periodically. See end of the page for the change log. Please post any errors to the thread.

You can find more details of public charging networks in the UK at: Public charging networks on Zap-Map.

The following sites provide maps of charging points (there are many others and you may need to check some networks' own sites for charger status):
  • Zap-Map: With route planner. Good filtering capabilities (See note at end) except that premium membership required to filter on number of charge points per site. Live status of chargers provided for some networks - see (*) on network list.
  • Octopus Electroverse: With route planner. Good for filtering, including multiple charge points per site. The map is poor at displaying place names on the map.
  • A Better Route Planner: I find the route planner better than Zap-Map's, but it rarely suggests the chargers I end up using. If you specify the chargers, you get a useful summary table. Only DC chargers included - so best for longer distance routes.
  • Shell Recharge: This was Newmotion and shows lots of networks. I find it especially useful in Europe.
  • ChargeMap: Particularly useful for overseas travel, as you can find what cards / accounts can be used for each charger (Stations > See compatible passes).
  • PlugShare: with (untried) route planner.
Guidance

You can't (shouldn't) just set off in an EV and expect to look for a charger when you get to 10% state of charge. You still have to plan for where to charge - and doing so makes things likely to work smoothly.

Of course, getting from A to B requires finding the best route. Standard route planners, such as Google Maps, are excellent at this, taking account of traffic levels, so I usually start with Google Maps and/or the route planner in my car (if it's any good). Use your favourite one.

Then, where should you charge? It's important to recognise that all charging networks are not equal. Some can be generally relied on and others seem to fail most times I try to use them. The following networks all have 'a lot of' sites distributed across the country, covering over 80% of all rapid chargers (I don't list smaller / regional networks). I've shown which say they accept contactless cards and which work with Octopus Electroverse, Shell Recharge (which was Newmotion), Bonnet, Zap-Pay and Elli.

NetworkNotesContact-lessOctopus
Electroverse		Shell
Recharge		BonnetZap-Pay Elli
Instavolt(*)Very reliable. Some reports of issues with Electroverse RFID.
Yes​
Yes​
BP Pulse(*)Reputation for poor reliability and billing issues.
​
Yes​
Tesla (public sites)Account and app
GeniePoint(*)You can link any RFID card.
Very poor recent reliability - check their map for status.
Yes​
​
Yes​
Yes​
Osprey(*)
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Charge Place Scotland(*)You must get their RFID if travelling to Scotland.
​
Yes​
Gridserve(*)Avoid old Ecotricity sites - few remaining.
Yes​
MFG EV power(*)
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
​
Ionity
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Pod PointAccount and app.
(Some) rapids​
Shell Recharge
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Swarco e.connect(*)Can also use WebPay
Yes (evolt)​
Fastned(*)Have a form of plug and charge capability.
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​
Yes​

  • Networks marked (*) provide live data on charger status to Zap-Map.
  • I mainly use Electroverse or Shell Recharge RFID cards or contactless. I also have an RFID for CPS and one linked to Geniepoint. That covers most of the above and many others.
  • See the Electroverse location filter for other networks they support.
  • Note the difference between Shell's (Recharge) network of chargers and the Shell Recharge RFID/account (which was Newmotion) to access other chargers.
  • Comments on current status from CPS users welcome. I had no problems in over 10 charges using the CPS RFID card on a trip to the Highlands in April 2022.
  • I've added BP Pulse back to the above table, but don't recommend them. My experience is that charger reliability is poor and I've had to chase refund of preauthorisation on failed charges. This is reflected in comments on the forum and the Zap-Map survey.
  • Zap-Map have released the results of their survey of charging networks (2023). I largely agree with this ranking for the networks I use (and avoid using).
  • Electroverse gives you various discounts on charging.
I have a filter set for CCS rapids on the above networks on both Zap-Map and Electroverse. It's very easy to look for chargers along a route and pick out ones around where I will either need to stop for a break or will need to charge. If it's a route I've not travelled before then I'll look to stop at about 30% SOC, such that there are other chargers I can reach if a charge fails or the charge point is blocked. In practice, with >50kWh batteries we find we stop because we need to, rather than the car needs charging. Still, need to have plans A, B and C.

I prefer sites with more than one charger (Electroverse can filter on this) and generally avoid motorway service stations, as they have historically had few chargers (which is changing), everyone else stops there and chargers get blocked (which isn't). We are seeing more sites with 6 to 12 chargers. I have such sites on the longer routes I travel most (except for across mid-Wales) and they make the journeys trivial.

If you want an easy journey, one thing has not changed compared to ICE - try not to travel when everyone else does. Try getting to Devon on a Friday afternoon in the summer holidays, even in an ICE. Not surprisingly, that's also the time that there will be a queue for the chargers!

Note: I'm very aware there are forum members who do more rapid charging than I do. Happy to take constructive comments and modify the above.

Travel in continental Europe

We've taken EVs to France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Our experience (with a Tesla Model 3 outside France) is that for DC charging we only need RFID cards from Octopus Electroverse and Shell Recharge (was Newmotion), along with credit cards. Much of the Tesla network is now open to all EVs - you need the Tesla app for other EVs (there is contactless on some of their chargers). The Electroverse and Shell Recharge apps cover a lot of AC charging, but we still find we sometimes need to download a strange app for AC chargers.

Do check before travelling. I recommend a search of this site for the name of each country you are travelling through.

Also check carefully on paying for motorways - which is a whole issue in itself. There are a number of tags you can buy to fit to your windscreen to pay for tolls without stopping - lots of threads on these. In Portugal and Norway there are motorways with no toll barriers on which you must pay electronically. In Portugal (Home | Portugal Tolls), you get fined if you have not set this up in advance: . In Norway (Foreign vehicles), register your registration number before travelling to get the EV discounts, get a tag, or a bill will be sent to the registered address of the vehicle. (We ordered a tag 10 weeks in advance from Fremtind and it never arrived - but the number plate recognition worked instead.)

Zap-Map filter: Networks appear to be listed in the order:
  1. Networks supporting Zap-Pay.
  2. 'Major' networks that provide real-time info to Zap-Map.
  3. 'Minor' networks that provide real-time info to Zap-Map.
  4. All other networks (including remaining major ones).
Updates (from June 2022):
29th June 2024 - CPS and Swarco added networks supported by Electroverse. Updates on European travel.
10th November 2023 - Link to Zap-Map survey update to 2023.
16th October 2023 - Added Instavolt as supported by Electroverse.
19th September 2023 - Networks supported by Elli added to table. Entries checked.
9th August 2023 - Updated information and tables. Fastnet added, and BP Pulse added back, to list of networks.
23rd November 2022 - Zap-Map has added rapids. Revised to Octopus Electric Universe.
11th November 2022 - Comments on Zap-Map failing to add recent rapids.
10th August 2022 - Bonnet and Zap-Pay added to table.
16th July 2022 - added link to Zap-Map survey of charging networks.
10th July 2022 - added charging cards and updated network table.
7th July 2022 - added MFG to list of networks. Removed BP Pulse after refund claimed.
10th June 2022 - changes for Tesla, CPS, ChargeMap and Octopus Electric Juice.
16th June 2022 - removed BP Pulse from list of networks to consider.
...
13th February 2018 - Thread started.
 
#2 · (Edited)
The vast majority in Scotland are on the Chargeplace Scotland network which is managed by CYC and shown on their map/app and the ChargePlace Scotland map. You need to register a payment card in case the point you wish to use has a fee but again the vast majority of them are still free. If you want a card for RFID use then it is £20. All the details are here ChargePlace Scotland | Scotland's Public EV Charging Network. All types of chargers (excluding Tesla) are catered for.

Update. ChargePlace Scotland now has a new manager of the network. CYC cards will no longer work, there is a new app and a card which will cost £10.
 
J
#20 ·
Newbie question: am I correct in saying that you can access the Chargeplace Scotland network with either their app or the CYC app; therefore no need for the card and no annual fee? Thanks

h8ten said:
The vast majority in Scotland are on the Chargeplace Scotland network which is managed by CYC and shown on their map/app and the ChargePlace Scotland map. You need to register a payment card in case the point you wish to use has a fee but again the vast majority of them are still free. If you want a card for RFID use then it is £20. All the details are here ChargePlace Scotland | Scotland's Public EV Charging Network. All types of chargers (excluding Tesla) are catered for.
Click to expand...
 
#6 ·
It may be worthwhile adding a distinction between pre-pay top-up (Polar Instant, Pod-Point, Chargepoint Genie), and true pay-as-you-go (Instavolt / Ecotricity Electric Highway), or monthly billed post-pay (Polar Plus / Charge your Car / Chargeplace Scotland)
Instavolt may be worth mentioning, as they are rapidly expanding, a true pay-as-you-go contactless payment at a flat £0.35/kWh.
Charge your Car has no RFID or subscription fees if you can make do with their mobile phone app.
Ecotricity Electric Highway. Well worth mentioning half price for Ecotricity energy customers.
Polar Instant is never free, £1.20 admin fee on top of any fee for any session.
 
C
#10 ·
Craig Rogers said:
There’s also

Engenie
EV Driver
Shell Recharge
Click to expand...
The old page was totally out of date. I'm just trying to list the biggest networks and get the facts correct. The link to zap-map lets people find out about the smaller / regional networks and I think they do a better job than I can.

All three networks you've listed have few (4 to 20) chargers in the UK at present and are fairly local. I'll add any to the page if and when they get larger - Shell is growing.

One option would be to just leave the link to the pages on zap-map, to guide speakEV users to that as a reference source. That would avoid the need to keep a separate list up to date. What do you think?
 
#11 ·
I came across a ChargerNet rapid in Dorset last week- can be used with Polar Plus card. The Polar Plus card can also be used for ChargeYourCar posts (certainly here in the South East)- maybe worth adding a note above.
 
#17 ·
Not so. There are a large number of Chargemaster Ultracharger units that accept Polar Instant, any new installs have to be made available without membership requirement, but you still have the Polar Instant tariff of £1.20+£12.00/hour, rather than the £7.86/month membership + £0.108/kWh tariff that subscribers to their Polar Plus membership product get. Some of them (TfL and Nottingham funded installs), also have contactless payment facilities that sometimes work.
Some Ultracharger units are still not currently available on Polar Instant. That may change.
 
6
#13 ·
Comment about Chargeyourcar (CYC):

WARNING – CYC RIP-OFF. Used a charge point in Boscombe on 19/12 and paid via the CYC app. I had difficulty with ending the charge session on the CYC app. I have just received the invoice from CYC and was shocked to find that I had been charged £12 instead of £4. This for an overrun – wait for it – of TEN SECONDS over the one hour limit. After three calls and three emails CYC refused to budge on this. £8 extortion is annoying but I’m not going to pursue it further. But I have resolved to avoid CYC wherever possible in future. BE WARNED.
 
#14 ·
@cDy

Charge now is identical to PolarPlus, with the exception that the Chargenow card will activate the charge master posts at BMW dealerships. A lot of the older BMW sites have 7kw posts that cannot be accessed with a polarplus rfid card but can with chargenow although there are also a lot now that do work with polarplus
 
S
#15 ·
I’ve been in touch with the EO home charge provider who have been very prompt and helpful,and have put me in touch with their installer in Manchester ( Griff Services ) . Wondered if anyone has had any experience of installation of the EO home charger, which I am considering for my Nissan Leaf, which is due to arrive in May. Thanks in advance.
 
#16 ·
Good list - thank you

I’ll be using Ecotricity motorway chargers.

Can’t change supplier (yet) but what’s the cheapest way to use them?

Or alternative thoughts to travel the M4 cheaply?

JJ
 
#21 ·
It is the CYC app, I've only used to start and stop one charge, all the other times I've used my card as I find it quicker and easier. I have a legacy lifetime CPS card but you may need to register a card with the app before you can use it. I'm pretty sure that the app/and the CYC web page will show you if there is a fee for any ChargePoint.
 
#22 ·
C
#27 ·
I started this new version of the thread as the old one was very dated and totally incorrect. I'm not trying to list every network in the UK and the first post sets out the objectives. It would be too much work (for me) to try to keep a list here up to date for all the networks. Instead, the 'main', 'large area' networks in England, Wales and Scotland are listed and links are provided to Zap Map for complete lists.

As an example of my criterion, I've not yet added Shell Recharge to the list as it still doesn't have enough charge points for me and is centred on London only. I expect it to get large enough before long.

Anyway, D2N2 is a local network and doesn't meet my criteria so isn't on the list at the top of this thread.
 
M
#28 ·
I've just got charge cards for the following networks:
a) New Motion
b) Chargepoint

Both cards were free so an easy add to my arsenal of rfid charge cards.

Eventually the Chargepoint may be useful at Instavolt charge points and I found a New Motion networked rapid in North Somerset.

Both are based in the Netherlands.
 
#29 ·
My collection...

Image


1. Swarco eVolt - FREE
2. Chargepoint - FREE
3. Ecotricity - FREE
4. NewMotion (can be used on Shell Recharge rapids) - FREE
5. PolarPlus (cancelled)
6. Instavolt (not shown because it's not needed. Loads of cards in my wallet that I can use for them i.e contactless)

Although the PolarPlus card is cancelled, I'm holding onto it just in case new owners BP see the sense that CM couldn't and allow it to be used without a subscription (with a higher rate tariff of course).

Obviously, the only card I should really need is the one I have already had for several years... my credit/debit cards.
 
#31 ·
Polar Plus: says app but do you not still get an RFID card? That would make interacting with Polar units significantly easier than the flakey instant app. Both times I've used one of theirs on so called "instant" it's taken about 15 minutes of faffing to get a charge going.

How easy is it to unsubscribe and resubscribe if you wanted to, will they recycle the same card for example?
 
#32 ·
Yes you get an RFID card or tag for plus - the app is instant only

I used instant the other day - took about 60 seconds to get going - and yes you keep the same card. I have cancelled and re instated several times - just allow 24 hours for it to hit the servers - but if you need to use it in the meantime you can call them and they will sort it.
 
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#37 · (Edited)
I'm fairly certain that you have to use their Smart Cable (£399 for 7kW type 2). That only really makes it a sensible option for residents living in streets with their charging points (or people regularly visiting an area with them).

They also only have clusters of charging points in London and Oxford at present.

As such, I don't propose to add them to the networks listed at the top of this thread.
 
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