Electric car charging points near me: UK map and network guide

In the UK, sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars have really started to climb, with a corresponding increase in the number of public charging points being installed to service them. Charging technology is advancing fast, too, meaning new chargers are needed to top up the latest models as fast as possible.

​When you're driving an electric car and need to charge it up, there are different kinds of chargers out there. Rapid and Ultra-Rapid chargers are the quickest but the most expensive. They can usually deliver an 80 per-cent top-up in around 30 minutes but that will vary from car to car. These high powered chargers are usually found along major roads, perfect for longer trips. Fast chargers are a bit slower but a bit cheaper, usually these can fill up your car to 80% in a few hours. 

While many electric-car owners will primarily top up at home (which is generally the cheapest option), it's useful to be able to find charging points when you're out and about – or on a longer journey beyond your car's maximum range on a single charge.

With there now being almost 60,000 electric vehicle charging points around the United Kingdom with more being installed every month, it has become a lot easier to travel across the country in your electric car but it is important to know how to find a charger when you need one.

Thankfully, this is very easily done – there are several online mapping services that can take your current location and show you any and all charging points in the area. Three of the most well known are Google Maps (google.com/maps), Zap-Map (zap-map.com) and Open Charge Map (openchargemap.org).

The last two let you filter results by connection type, network operator and even the charging speeds available. Once you click on an individual charger you’ll find all this information – as well as whether it’s operational – and the contact details for the network or operator.

It is also important to make sure your car can actually use the charging stations you plan to stop at. Some chargers might not be compatible with the charging port on older EV models, though this is increasingly rare. Don't forget to check prices and how you can pay for the charge as well. The vast majority of UK chargers now accept contactless payment but you can still save money if you’re a member of some networks with a special card or a phone app. Being prepared with the right info and payment method will help make your charging stops hassle-free.