Best EV Charging Apps In The UK (2023)
Ready to charge up your EV and hit the open road?
This guide will navigate you through the 17 best EV charging apps in the UK.
Ensuring you have the power to explore the motorways with confidence and ease. Discover which app suits your charging needs.
Let’s start…
Zap-Map
One of the most renowned companies in the UK, if not the industry leader, when it comes to showing you where the nearest public charge points are. The app itself is extremely easy to navigate with a nice interface and you can set filters to accommodate your charging needs, whether that be power output, price, closest to your current position and so on.
It is free to download and you also have Zapmap Plus and Zapmap Premium, which offer additional features and are aimed at enhancing your EV charging experience.
Pod Point EV Charging App
Pod Point is a leading charging brand in the UK and it has partnered with a number of supermarkets up and down the country, including Lidl and Tesco where they have installed a number of charge points.
Use the app to find one of the 8200+ charging bays across the country with easy directions and when you arrive, you can easily connect to start the session.
Ecotricity Charging
Ecotricity is not an app but, instead, Britain’s greenest renewable energy supplier and growing year after year as more people look to become an emission-free driver.
If you decide to use their network, you will be receiving your energy from wind turbines and solar panels, therefore making a real contribution to reducing your carbon footprint.
Shell Recharge
By having the Shell Recharge app, you have access to over 500,000 public charging points throughout Europe and the UK. You can use the navigator features to find a charging station near you and filter by power output, type of charger, connector type.
The EV charging app itself is very smooth and clean, we found very few issues with it, and it is by far one of the best on the market.
InstaVolt
The InstaVolt app is one of the most upcoming apps currently out there and gives you direct access to the award winning DC rapid electric vehicle charging network.
It does what most of the apps do by letting you search for a charger, navigation and so on, but it also has a contactless payment option. Customers who use the app are given exclusive access to the rewards programs InstaVolt provides.
They currently have about 1000+ charge points located up and down major A & M roads and at retail parks. They are one of the largest rapid charging point owners in the UK and are looking to expand throughout the rest of the country in the foreseeable future.
BP Pulse
BP Pulse is a great alternative for charging at home. You pay a weekly subscription and it allows you to charge your electric car at one of the 8750 BP pulse points that are dotted around the UK. 3200 of them are rapid and ultra-fast and the app allows you to charge effortlessly on the go. The app is easy to navigate, provides detailed information and is available on both Android & iOS devices.
Ubitricity
A subsidiary of Shell, Ubitricity works with local councils and governments to make charging stations more accessible to the public. Most of their 7000 points can be found on residential streets under lamp posts. You can use the map to locate EV chargers, find real-time availability, plan a route to the charger and get an overview of your charging session, including your consumption.
E.ON Drive
The E.ON Drive app is the easiest way to find the network of EON chargers and charge your electric car. There are over 3000 ultra fast charging stations across the UK and Europe and you can use the interactive map to locate one close to your home or work. Learn vital information about the charging stations, including prices, connector types and charging speed. You are able to pay easily using a credit or debit card via the app.
Ionity
With a network spanning over 24 European countries, the Ionity smartphone app allows you to find one of their ultra-rapid 350kW chargers. This is obviously great for drivers who want to charge quickly but you will also be paying quite a bit more compared to less powerful public charging stations.
GeniePoint
GeniePoint has a network of electric car charging points scattered across southern England and is operated by Engie EV solutions. To access the app, you will have to register an account but after that we found the app extremely straightforward to navigate, giving you live data about the availability of the EV chargers, directions to them and connector times. You will most likely find these EV chargers at supermarkets, hotels, parking at restaurants and shopping centres.
Chargeplace Scotland
Run by the government, Chargeplace Scotland provides over 2000 charge points across the country. To be able to use them, you must first download the app and register with the network. Once you have done this, you are able to see where every charger is across Scotland with detailed information about each one.
Fastned
Fastned is a Dutch company with a rapid charging network across France, Holland, Germany, UK. Belgium and Switzerland. The network operates on 100% renewable energy for those who are doing there best to help save the planet and the majority of charging stations are in the north of England, they are yet to roll out nationwide.
PlugShare
PlugShare is another really useful app and one of the top-rated in the industry, it allows the user to locate charging stations, leave reviews and connect with other EV owners. It provides detailed information, including the plug type, directions to the charger and its location. The app only shows charging stations for a single network so you may have to travel a distance before you find another charge point on the same network. But by sharing information with other EV owners, you can get feedback on what chargers are good and what to avoid.
Bonnet App
Bonnet is unique in the fact that it doesn’t show chargers from a single network, instead, you can see chargers from over 17 different networks throughout Europe. This makes it far more convenient for the owner as they don’t have to download multiple apps, you can download this single app and keep track of all the different public charge points. It makes the charging experience more enjoyable, and it certainly has a claim to call itself the best app on the market.
Tesla
By far the most famous EV brand, Tesla has over 700 charging areas in 90 locations. Many are not exclusive to just Tesla and can be used by other car brands as well. The app has plenty of features to it, you can start and stop charging, check real-time progress, heat and cool the car before driving, locate your vehicle with directions and more.
GridServe
Back in 2020, GridServe opened the first all-electric car charging forecourt in Essex. It can deliver 350kW of charging power to 36 electric vehicles and has a dog walking area, children’s play area and cafe to keep busy during charging sessions. They have recently opened another forecourt in Norwich, and the next one is planned for Gatwick’s south terminal. Drivers can use the app to search by fuel type and location.
FAQs
Can I charge my EV without a card?
Yes, you can charge your EV without a card at certain stations, although some providers require an app or card as part of their subscription model.
What is the best app for electric car charging?
The best app for electric car charging is ZapMap due to it’s easy of use, regularly updated data and reliability.
Which apps do I need for EV charging in the UK?
There are lots of apps you can use for EV charging in the UK, they include ZapMap, BP Pulse, PlugShare, Bonnet, Shell Recharge, Tesla, Chargeplace Scotland.
Conclusion
As you can tell from the guide, there isn’t a shortage of options when searching for the best EV apps. It all depends on what works for you and what you like, the majority of people have tried ZapMap and say that it’s very straightforward to locate chargers and the reliability of the app is good.
Whilst others enjoy the Bonnet, which shows chargers from multiple networks, basically combining many apps into one, making it convenient for the electric vehicle owner to find an EV charger.
We hope this review helped when deciding what apps and charging networks to go with, after all, there is a vast selection to choose from many of them are great in their own individual way.
Head back to our main page for more information on living with an EV and how to properly maintain it.
