Find public charging stations in the UK and learn how long it takes to charge your EV.
UK map of electric car charging points
Find electric car charging points near you with this map of all the public EV charging stations in the UK. There are now more than 42,000 charge point connectors across the UK in over 15,500 locations - that's more public places to charge than petrol stations!
Free electric car charging points
There are thousands of free electric car charge points in the UK, often located in supermarkets, shopping centres, public car parks, hotels and sometimes service stations. Be aware there could be restrictions such as a set period of time or a requiring a purchase in-store, so it's best to check.
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
Charging an EV can be anything between 30-60 minutes and 8-10 hours. How long it takes to charge your electric car depends on the car's battery size, how many miles you do between charges, your charging behaviour and the power rating of the charger you're using. There are three main types of chargers:
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Renewable electricity tariffs for EV drivers
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Electric car charging cables
Charging cables have connectors you plug into the electric car and/or the charge point. What type of charging connector you use depends on your car and the power rating of the charge point. Here are five charging plugs used in the UK.
UK three pin plug
Power rating of 2.3-3kW AC, Single Phase (Standard Charge):
- Approx 5 miles range per 30 mins of charging
- Standard UK domestic electricity outlet
- Not designed for prolonged use needed to fully charge an electric car
- Very slow charging with a maximum power output of 3 kW
Type 1 plug
Power rating of 3-7kW AC, Single Phase (Slow/Fast Charge):
- Approx 12 miles range per 30 mins of charging
- Only available in single phase
- Less common in modern electric cars
- Has no locking mechanism when the car is connected to supply
Type 2 plug
Power rating of 3-42kW AC, Single Phase/Three Phase (Fast Charge):
- Approx 75 miles range per 30 mins of charging
- Becoming the standard European charging cable connector type
- Compatible with both single and three-phase electricity supply
- In-built locking mechanism when connected to the power supply
- Tesla has a 120 kW DC version of type 2
CHAdeMO plug
Power rating of 50kW DC, Three Phase (Rapid Charge):
- Approx 85 miles range per 30 mins of charging
- Older type of charging cable connector for rapid charging
- Compatible with Japanese vehicle manufacturers
- Most common rapid connector type due to the popularity of the Nissan Leaf
Combined Charging System (CCS) plug
Power rating of 50-350kW DC, Rapid Charge:
- Approx 85-200 miles range per 30 mins of charging
- The most versatile rapid charging connector
- Likely to become the most popular DC connector standard
- Enables a higher power rating to support larger ultra rapids chargers
Workplace EV charging
Businesses, charities and local authorities can take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme, which comes with incentives to reduce carbon emissions.
There are customised options that use battery storage, solar, Vehicle to Grid (V2G) and Demand Side Response (DSR) which can be potential revenue streams.
Find out how we can help your business.
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