How does public EV charging work?

Even if you have an electric vehicle home charging station installed, there might still be times when you have to top up your car battery when out and about. As the popularity of electric cars increases, alongside the UK government’s nearing ban on the production of petrol and diesel cars from 2030, the number of public charging stations is ever-increasing. 

How do I find an EV charging station?

There are upwards of 35,000 charging points across the UK that can be found in service stations, car parks, supermarkets and retail parks. If you’re in need of a charge, you can locate your nearest charging station using Zapmaps, or simply search online for charging stations near you. 

Zapmaps has also introduced a community charging feature, which allows owners of home charging stations to rent out their charging points to the public and charge a fee. If you’re struggling to find a public charging station in a certain area, this option might come in handy. 

Types of public EV charging stations

Charging units at service stations usually offer the quickest charge time, providing up to 80% of charge in as little as 20 to 30 minutes, but for a premium price. Destination charging stations, at locations such as supermarkets and hotels, usually offer 7kW charging, which provides around 20 to 30 miles of range per hour plugged in, but this varies depending on your car model type. 

Most public chargers offer all connector types, which are tethered to the units, but for some you’ll need to take your own charging cable with you. The cable will lock into place once the charge begins, so it can’t be removed whilst you’re charging and is only released once you end your charge. 

How do I pay for a public charging station?

All EV charging stations are required to provide pay-as-you-go access, which can usually be accessed through an app or by using contactless payment. There are a variety of apps available that allow you to pay for numerous charging networks, so it’s worth looking into which support the networks you tend to commonly use. 

To use some charging stations you may need to download the network’s app, create an account and load a minimum amount of credit onto your account to pay for a session. Some network services offer a monthly subscription fee that allows you to access a slightly reduced cost per kWh used. 

An increasing number of public charging stations are offering contactless payment, but the downside to this is that you can’t see your car’s charging status, whereas you can on an app. 

EV home charging station 

The most reliable way to keep your electric vehicle fully charged is a home charging station. Mr Charger are the leading experts for electric vehicle charging points and have specialists stationed across the UK. To find out if Mr Charger operates in your area and receive a quote, pop your postcode into our website. 

If you would like further guidance, give us a shout on 0800 669 6159 or email us at install@MrCharger.co.uk.