The speed that cars can charge at is determined by how much electrical power the charge point delivers and is measured in kilowatts (kW). There are three main types of electric vehicle (EV) charger – rapid, fast, and slow.
- Rapid and ultra fast – usually found in service stations and other public areas, these charge points operate at between 43kW to 50kW which means they can charge 80% of an EV battery in 30-60 minutes.
- Fast – probably the most common type of charger in the UK right now, fast chargers (between 7kW and 22kW) will charge an EV in up to four hours. They're ideal for home use too but may incur additional costs from us to reinforce the local electricity network.
- Slow – a slow charger is anything up to 3kW and is used mainly for overnight charging at home but could also be used for business. Generally your EV will be partly charged already so a slow charger will normally fully charge it in around four hours. Slow chargers have the advantage of being much cheaper to install and are unlikely to incur any additional reinforcement costs.
Installing a charge point
In some cases when purchasing a new EV the cost of the installation of a charge point may be bundled into the cost of the vehicle. If not, you'll need to contact an accredited EV charge point installer.
If you live in rental accommodation or own a flat in the UK, the government’s EV charge point grant provides grant funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing EV charge points, up to a maximum of £350. Typical costs for a slow charger are between £250 and £500, while a fast charge point will cost between £450 and £800.
Before you install a charge point, your installer should contact us. Find out more about connecting your charge point to the electricity network.
Public chargers
There are more than 35,000 public EV charge points nationwide and this number is growing on a daily basis. Charge points can be found at public car parks, on-street, coffee shops, supermarkets, hotels, workplaces and service stations.
You can access UK-wide charge point maps at Zap-Map and Autotrader. These maps are updated regularly and provide details of charger type and connector type.
If you're planning on buying an EV but you don’t plan to have a charge point at home, you should consider where you'll be able to charge your vehicle, such as at your workplace or at your local supermarket or retail park. At some public car parks you can book a parking space with a charge point in advance.
Next steps on your electric vehicle journey
Here's where to go for more advice on buying electric vehicles and installing charge points.