Electric Vehicle Charge Points

Charge points across the UK

Zap-Map states that by the end of July 2022, there were 33,281 charging points across 20,336 locations and this represents a 35% increase in number of charging devices since July 2021.

Zap-Map tracks the myriad of chargers across the UK and reports are updated monthly. The number of charge points in the UK and their geographical distribution is posted on the app. It also allows you to search for charge points, plan your route and pay for charging.

How long does it take to charge an Electric Vehicle (EV)?

The charge time for an electric vehicle depends on a lot of varying factors: the size of the car’s battery, how many miles were put on the battery between charges, your charging behaviour and the power rating of the charger being used. There are 3 main types of chargers.

Slow: Usually rated at up to 3kW and takes between 12-24 hours to fully charge a vehicle from 0%. Includes Type 1 charging cables.
Fast: Rated at either 7 or 22kW and can usually be found in car parks, supermarkets, or leisure centres. It takes between 4 to 10 hours to fully charge the EV. Includes Type 1 and 2
Charging plugs.
Rapid: Typically rated around 43kW and found at motorway service stations, petrol stations and supermarkets, it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to fully charge the vehicle, compatible with vehicles that have the rapid charging function.  These include CHAdeMO and CCS plugs.

Ultra Rapid: Typically rated from 150kw to 250kw. Includes the Tesla Supercharger network, Gridserve and many more. These are the fastest chargers available on the road and are ideal for road trips. They are also the most expensive with prices around £0.70-£1.00 per KwH, compared to around 25p for the 7kwh chargers. These chargers are all CCS meaning your car may or may not be able to use them depending on your charge port configuration.

Electric Charging Cables

Charging cables are included when you purchase an electric vehicle and will be one of five different plug types available, depending on the power rating of the charge point and the car. The most common

Standard UK domestic three pin plug, single phase

• Power rating: 2.3kw to 3kw for a slow charge.
• Range of approximately 5 miles per 30 minutes of charging.
• Not designed for prolonged use that is required to fully charge an EV.
• Very slow charging with a maximum power output of 3kW.

Type 1 plug, single phase

• Power rating: 3 to 7kW for a slow or fast charge.
• Range of approximately 12 miles per 30 mins of charging.
• Less common in modern EVs.

This plug has no locking mechanism when the car is connected to supply.

Type 2 plug, single phase

• Power rating: 3-42kW, single or three phase for a fast charge
• The range added is approximately 75 miles per 30 mins of charging (for 42kw chargers)
• Becoming the standard European charging cable connector type
• Built-in locking mechanism
• Most commonly found as 7kw chargers

CHAdeMO plug, three-phase

• Power rating: 50kW, for a rapid charge
• Range is approximately 85 miles per 30 minutes of charging
• Compatible with Japanese vehicle manufacturers
• Most common rapid connector

Combined Charging System (CCS) plug

• Power rating: 50 to 350kW for a rapid charge
• Range is approximately 85 to 200 miles per 30 minutes of charging
• Most versatile rapid charging connector and likely to become the most popular
• Enables higher power rating to support larger ultra-rapid chargers