Ranked: These Are the Best (and Worst) UK's EV Charging Networks

One of the most important parts of any EV owner’s life is charging the car on the road, preferably using a fast-charge point. This could be a hassle-free experience, or it could make your life miserable when things are not going exactly as planned. This is why we think Zap-Map’s initiative to rank the best charging networks is great. Based on the fact that their survey is already in its fourth year, we suspect it is also important for EV users in the UK.

Zap-Map had over 3,000 EV drivers surveyed, each of them rating their overall satisfaction with the networks they use regularly. They also rated their level of satisfaction with the networks in four key areas: reliability, ease of use, cost, and facilities, to add more substance to the survey.

InstaVolt is in first place overall this year, up from the second in 2020. The rapid charging network scored particularly high for reliability and ease of use, securing its ‘Best EV Charging Network’ badge. Taking the ‘EV Driver Recommended’ second and third places respectively are two other rapid charging networks, MFG EV Power and Osprey. It is worth mentioning that MFG EV Power is a new network that has installed charging hubs at its petrol stations and has entered the list for the first time.

Not all charging stations are equal, as you can see from the survey in the press release attached. It is worth highlighting that ChargePlace Scotland – which came in 13th place overall – took 1st place for costs, thanks to many of its extensive network of rapid charge points being free to use. So, if you value money more than your time and convenience, you might want to check this one out first.

As for the worst charging networks in the UK, we have bp pulse, Charge Your Car (which is also owned by bp pulse), and Ecotricity Electric Highway. The legacy Ecotricity Electric Highway points are the ones that have not yet been migrated to Gridserve’s new chargers.

The bp pulse network has this year slipped into the bottom three, even though it has the most extensive fast-charging network in the UK. Survey respondents commented that the charging points are starting to become unreliable, also noting price rises and poor customer service.