Electric car owners have had their say on the best and worst EV charging point providers, with a big difference between companies highlighting the work that needs to be done.
While many electric car owners are able to charge their vehicles at home, not all have this choice, while a growing number are reliant on public EV chargers when undertaking longer trips.
Now Zap-Map, the UK’s leader in charge point mapping, has revealed its best and worst charging firms, which have been voted for by more than 3,000 electric car owners.
At the top was InstaVolt, which was given an impressive 4.4-star rating. The company has more than 650 rapid chargers across the UK, and all of them work in a simple pay-as-you-go format. Electric car owners claimed they were the ‘go-to charger’ and also praised them for their reliability. Its chargers are often found in convenient locations, such as KFC, Starbucks and McDonald’s outlets.
In joint third position was MFG EV Power, which was granted 4.2 stars. Its relatively small network of 95 ultra-rapid EV chargers are operated by the Motor Fuel Group, the largest independent forecourt operator in the UK. Users particularly praised the network for its facilities, with the safety and security of a petrol station.
In third place was Osprey, which received four stars. With 230 rapid chargers across the UK, Osprey also offers both AC and DC rapid charging, meaning they’re accessible to drivers of most EV chargers. Many of Osprey’s chargers are found at pubs and restaurants, thanks to the firm’s relationship with Marston’s. Users said the chargers were reliable, easy to use and found in great locations.
Meanwhile at the other end of the table is the Legacy Ecotricity Electric Highway. Though the company has been bought by Gridserve, which is upgrading all chargers, these older chargers remain. While conveniently found at motorway service stations, users found the experience poor, with slow, unreliable chargers, and not enough of them – receiving just two stars.
Second from bottom was Charge Your Car, which scored 2.5 stars and disappointed in all areas, bar pricing. Third from last was BP Pulse. Given it’s the largest network of public EV chargers in the UK, the 2.5-star rating is particularly disappointing. EV drivers said the network is unreliable, while becoming increasingly expensive to use.
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO at Zap-Map, said: “Despite significant changes over the course of the year, there are some things that remain the same. EV drivers are clear about the factors that make for a good charging experience, namely reliability and ease of use – and these should be key priorities for the UK’s public charging networks.
“The Zap-Map survey shows that while this is being delivered by some, others are falling short and there needs to be improvement. As we move from the early adopters towards mass EV adoption, making public charging simple becomes more important than ever.”
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