Destination Charging Cost Comparison

Destination charging is an excellent way to top up your electric car while you're out and about doing everyday stuff. We explain what destination charging is and break down the different providers to help reveal which EV chargers can save you the most money.
What is a destination charge point?
A destination charge point is an EV charger usually placed in a location where you do other everyday stuff, such as shopping, going to the gym or eating at a restaurant and so on. That means you can usually find EV chargers at supermarket car parks, shopping centres, council car parks, and even tourist attractions.
The idea is you can top up the charge in your electric car while you go about your day. They are handy even if you're able to charge at home (particularly because some are free!), but if you are unable to charge your EV at home then they are absolutely vital.
Many businesses use destination EV charging stations as a way to entice customers to their locations and will even offer complimentary free charging. Tesco, for example, had partnered with Pod point and offer free charging to customers while they do their food shop.
How fast are EV destination charge points?
Generally they are about as fast as the typical home, which is usually rates at between 3.6kW and 7.4kW. In normal speak, that means they will add around 6 to 30 miles of range per hour.
Some destination charge points offer faster charging than this if you can find a 22kW charger. These chargers can provide an even quicker top-up provided your vehicle can accept a 22kW AC charge - unfortunately, many EVs in the UK are limited to 7.4kW or less.
These are different to rapid charge points, which use DC (direct current), and can provide a much faster charge to your electric car using its CCS or CHAdeMO rapid charger connection. They are typically rated at 50kW and above and can even go as high as 350kW - they are designed to charge your EV battery in under an hour or much less. You can compare the prices of different rapid charging networks using our rapid charger comparison tool.
Do I need my own cable to use a destination charger?
Yes, in most cases. That is because unlike rapid charge points, destination chargers are usually untethered which means they are just a socket. That also means you will need to provide your own cable, so it is well worth keeping one in your boot - you can purchase one via the Smart Home Charge store.
Types of destination charging stations
Destination chargers differ in charge speed and can be defined into two categories which we will explain in detail below:
Slow destination chargers
Slow destination chargers are AC charge points typically placed in locations where drivers tend to park their vehicles for extended periods of time such as long stay car parks, outside hotels and holiday resorts. Slow destination chargers typically charge vehicles using a single-phase current ranging from 3.6kW to 7kW (adding around 6 to 30 miles per hour of charge depending on your vehicle).
If cheap charging is what you're after and you know that your electric vehicle is going to be parked for a long while, using a slow destination charger is a great choice as they often offer low cost or even free charging.
Fast destination Chargers
Fast destination chargers, like the name suggests, charge EVs at a faster rate than slow destination chargers, usually ranging from 7-22kW (Adding around 30 to 60 miles per hour of charge depending on your vehicle). These types of chargers are typically seen in places where users tend to leave their car at for an hour or more such as at supermarket car parks, theme parks, shopping outlets and cinemas.
The price of using a fast destination charger is sometimes included in the cost to stay at the location but they can vary in price per kW depending on the location.
What does a destination EV charge point look like?
Unlike rapid charge points, which typically look the same, destination charge points come in all shapes and sizes. Below are some common examples of destination EV charge points that you will likely come across on your travels.
Wall-mounted EV chargers
As the name suggests, wall-mounted EV chargers are chargers mounted to a vertical surface like a wall, fence or in some cases, a dedicated plinth. Because of the need to be mounted on a vertical surface, wall-mounted EV chargers are typically found in enclosed locations such as multi-story car parks.
These types of EV charging points are typically untethered with one or two charging cable ports depending on the manufacturer.
Bollard EV charge points
Bollard EV charge points are free-standing charge points that resemble roadblock posts used to stop cars from accessing certain areas hence their name. Typically found in outdoor car parks and curbsides, Bollard Charge points are untethered usually with two charging cable ports on each side.
Free-standing charge points
Free-standing charge points are similar to bollard charge points but are usually taller and can come tethered or untethered. These types of EV charge points are typically found in supermarket car parks with adverts advertising the business they are situated in on their screen if they have one.
Lamp post/on-street charge points
Images provided by: char.gy
Lamppost charge points are small untethered charge points mounted on or sometimes built into curbside lampposts. Because of this, these charge points can be hard to spot to the untrained eye and will typically have a sign above them for easy identification. Unlike other charge points on this list, Lamppost charge points tend to be slow chargers (typically charging at around 2-6kW) due to the unit sharing power with the lamp post it’s attached to.
Nearby to lampposts, you might also encounter charge points mounted on a dedicated post. These are on-street EV charge points and in most cases, they share a power feed from the grid with nearby lampposts via an underground connection. Because of this, like lampost charge points, on-street EV chargers tend to charge electric vehicles at a slower rate than a charge point with its own dedicated power supply.
In most cases, anyone can charge their vehicle using a lamppost or on-street charge point however their primary function is to serve as a charging solution for residents who do not have access to a home EV charger.
Which public charge networks offer the best value for money?
There are plenty of public charging networks in the UK, so it's best to find the networks that are prevalent at your destination and use our network comparison tool above to compare them side by side. But if you would like to learn more about each network, we have compiled some additional information below. You can also click the "details" tab next to each network in the tool itself.
Please note: The prices below (and above) represent the typical price rate that you will be paying. It does not take into account any aditional fees that charging networks might pass onto the customer such as land rent or parking fees.
char.gy (Pay as you go)
Unlike other charging networks on this list, char.gy specialises in placing their charge points on roadsides and lamp posts allowing EV Drivers without a driveway to charge while parked on the roadside. While char.gy does specialise in providing EV drivers without a driveway a place to charge their vehicle, their charge points are available to anyone.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 6.89 | 17.49 | £6.89 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 7.86 | 13.20 | £7.86 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 9.01 | 14.69 | £9.01 |
char.gy Locations
Since char.gy specialises in making lamp post charge points, the most common places that you will find one of their chargers is in residential areas where houses don’t have driveways.
char.gy currently has agreements to install public charge points with the following county councils: Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Greater London, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. char.gy are working to partner with more councils and install their chargers in more areas. In fact, if you are a member of a council that is interested in installing on-street charge points, you can find out more about char.gy by clicking here.
How to spot a char.gy charge point
Unlike other charge point networks that make lamp post EV chargers, char.gy attaches their charge points to street lampposts rather than building them into the lamppost itself. Not only does doing this make maintenance easier but it also makes char.gy charge points easier to spot than other networks.
The charge point itself looks like a small black box that is hardwired onto the lamppost. On the front of the charger, you will see a port for plugging in your EV charging cable. On the top of the char.gy car charger, you will find the char.gy logo along with a web link which when typed into a web browser links to the charge point’s payment portal.
Attached to the lamppost above the charge point there should be a sign which explains what the char.gy car charger is and how to use it.
char.gy (Casual subscription)
Unlike other charging networks on this list, char.gy specialises in placing their charge points on roadsides and lamp posts allowing EV Drivers without a driveway to charge while parked on the roadside. While char.gy does specialise in providing EV drivers without a driveway a place to charge their vehicle, their charge points are available to anyone.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 4.07 | 10.34 | £4.07 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 4.64 | 7.80 | £4.64 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 5.32 | 8.68 | £5.32 |
char.gy Locations
Since char.gy specialises in making lamp post charge points, the most common places that you will find one of their chargers is in residential areas where houses don’t have driveways.
char.gy currently has agreements to install public charge points with the following county councils: Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Greater London, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. char.gy are working to partner with more councils and install their chargers in more areas. In fact, if you are a member of a council that is interested in installing on-street charge points, you can find out more about char.gy by clicking here.
How to spot a char.gy charge point
Unlike other charge point networks that make lamp post EV chargers, char.gy attaches their charge points to street lampposts rather than building them into the lamppost itself. Not only does doing this make maintenance easier but it also makes char.gy charge points easier to spot than other networks.
The charge point itself looks like a small black box that is hardwired onto the lamppost. On the front of the charger, you will see a port for plugging in your EV charging cable. On the top of the char.gy car charger, you will find the char.gy logo along with a web link which when typed into a web browser links to the charge point’s payment portal.
Attached to the lamppost above the charge point there should be a sign which explains what the char.gy car charger is and how to use it.
Pod Point Destination Charging (Paid Average)
Pod Point is one of the biggest players in the EV charging industry and will probably need no introduction to many EV enthusiasts.
When it comes to destination charging, Pod Point partners with many big businesses such as Tesco, Lidl, McDonald's, Center Parcs and Gatwick Airport to provide free charging at their car parks. Pod Point chargers are usually identified by their iconic circular design with a port in the middle for inserting your cable. But they have other designs such as their 'Bollard' style charger and another that resembles an advert board. The majority of Pod Point’s public destination charger stations are 7kW but we advise checking the label of the chargepoint you are at, as some will offer varying charging speeds.
In most cases (except for their rapid charging services), Pod Point chargers are free to use however we do recommend that you use the Pod Point map to see if this is the case for the charge point you plan to stop at.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 5.43p | £13.78 | £5.43 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 6.19p | £10.40 | £6.19 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 7.10p | £11.57 | £7.10 |
Pod Point Locations
Being a British company, Pod Point can be found in 100s of locations across the UK with a handful of charge points also being present in Ireland. When it comes to public locations, Pod Point partners with many big businesses such as Tesco, Lidl, McDonald's, Centre Parcs and Gatwick Airport to provide free charging at their car parks. These businesses are where you will commonly find Pod Point charge points but you can also find them in multi-story car parks, outside event arenas and in Hotel car parks.
How to spot a Pod Point charge point
Pod Point chargers are usually identified by their iconic circular design with a port in the middle for inserting your cable. But Pod point do have other types of charging stations, these are:
Bollard style charge point: These Pod Point Charging stations are commonly found in outdoor car parks, stand around 1.5 metres tall and are black coloured with two charging ports located on the left and right side.
Advert board charge point: These Pod Point chargers stand around 2.5 metres tall, are white in colour and, as the name suggests, have two large portrait screens mounted to the front and rear side for displaying adverts. On the left and right side of the charge point is a charging cable port for inserting your EV cable.
Pod Point Destination Charging (Free)
Pod Point is one of the biggest players in the EV charging industry and will probably need no introduction to many EV enthusiasts.
When it comes to destination charging, Pod Point partners with many big businesses such as Tesco, Lidl, McDonald's, Center Parcs and Gatwick Airport to provide free charging at their car parks. Pod Point chargers are usually identified by their iconic circular design with a port in the middle for inserting your cable. But they have other designs such as their 'Bollard' style charger and another that resembles an advert board. The majority of Pod Point’s public destination charger stations are 7kW but we advise checking the label of the chargepoint you are at, as some will offer varying charging speeds.
In most cases (except for their rapid charging services), Pod Point chargers are free to use however we do recommend that you use the Pod Point map to see if this is the case for the charge point you plan to stop at.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Pod Point Locations
Being a British company, Pod Point can be found in 100s of locations across the UK with a handful of charge points also being present in Ireland. When it comes to public locations, Pod Point partners with many big businesses such as Tesco, Lidl, McDonald's, Centre Parcs and Gatwick Airport to provide free charging at their car parks. These businesses are where you will commonly find Pod Point charge points but you can also find them in multi-story car parks, outside event arenas and in Hotel car parks.
How to spot a Pod Point charge point
Pod Point chargers are usually identified by their iconic circular design with a port in the middle for inserting your cable. But Pod point do have other types of charging stations, these are:
Bollard style charge point: These Pod Point Charging stations are commonly found in outdoor car parks, stand around 1.5 metres tall and are black coloured with two charging ports located on the left and right side.
Advert board charge point: These Pod Point chargers stand around 2.5 metres tall, are white in colour and, as the name suggests, have two large portrait screens mounted to the front and rear side for displaying adverts. On the left and right side of the charge point is a charging cable port for inserting your EV cable.
BP Pulse - AC Charging (Contactless or guest)
BP Pulse is one of the biggest charging networks in the UK and use a combination of destination and rapid chargers across the UK.
BP Pulse has three price rates divided into three categories which are: contactless or guest, free membership and subscription.
In terms of charging speed for destination charging, BP Pulse varies from 3.6-22kW depending on the location of the charge point (The charging station will have the charging speed labelled for convenience).
The contactless or guest (this one) is priced at 26p per kWh.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 8.35p | £21.20 | £8.35 per trip |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 9.52p | £16.00 | £9.52 per trip |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 10.92p | £17.80 | £10.92 per trip |
BP Pulse 7 Locations
BP Pulse is one of the biggest charging networks in the UK with destination charge points in a wide variety of locations. As well as working with councils to place charge points in locations such as car parks and near local amenities, BP also works with private companies including car dealerships where their customers can often charge for free.
BP Pulse destination chargers can also be found in Asda’s supermarkets where they are again free to use for customers (Please note that you will need to sign up to BP pulse and use the BP pulse app to start a charge session in order to take advantage of free charging).
How to spot a BP Pulse destination charge point
Currently, BP Pulse have two types of destination chargers, both are untethered meaning that you will need to bring your own charging cable.
The first one is wall mounted and has a white horizonal oval shape with two charging ports on each side.
The second design is floor mounted and resembles a road ‘bollard’ with a black paint colour.
BP Pulse - Pulse7 (Free Membership)
BP Pulse is one of the biggest charging networks in the UK and use a combination of destination and rapid chargers across the UK.
BP Pulse has three price rates divided into three categories which are: contactless or guest, free membership and subscription.
In terms of charging speed for destination charging, BP Pulse varies from 3.6-22kW depending on the location of the charge point (The charging station will have the charging speed labelled for convenience).
The contactless or guest (this one) is priced at 38p per kWh.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 7.93p | £20.14 | £7.93 per trip |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 9.05p | £15.20 | £9.05 per trip |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 10.37p | £16.91 | £10.37 per trip |
BP Pulse 7 Locations
BP Pulse is one of the biggest charging networks in the UK with destination charge points in a wide variety of locations. As well as working with councils to place charge points in locations such as car parks and near local amenities, BP also works with private companies including car dealerships where their customers can often charge for free.
BP Pulse destination chargers can also be found in Asda’s supermarkets where they are again free to use for customers (Please note that you will need to sign up to BP pulse and use the BP pulse app to start a charge session in order to take advantage of free charging).
How to spot a BP Pulse destination charge point
Currently, BP Pulse have two types of destination chargers, both are untethered meaning that you will need to bring your own charging cable.
The first one is wall mounted and has a white horizonal oval shape with two charging ports on each side.
The second design is floor mounted and resembles a road ‘bollard’ with a black paint colour.
BP Pulse - Pulse7 (BP Pulse Subscription)
BP Pulse is one of the biggest charging networks in the UK and use a combination of destination and rapid chargers across the UK.
BP Pulse has three price rates divided into three categories which are: contactless or guest, free membership and subscription.
In terms of charging speed for destination charging, BP Pulse varies from 3.6-22kW depending on the location of the charge point (The charging station will have the charging speed labelled for convenience).
The contactless or guest (this one) is priced at 26p per kWh.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 6.26p | £15.90 | £6.26 per trip |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 7.14p | £12.00 | £7.14 per trip |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 8.19p | £13.35 | £8.19 per trip |
BP Pulse 7 Locations
BP Pulse is one of the biggest charging networks in the UK with destination charge points in a wide variety of locations. As well as working with councils to place charge points in locations such as car parks and near local amenities, BP also works with private companies including car dealerships where their customers can often charge for free.
BP Pulse destination chargers can also be found in Asda’s supermarkets where they are again free to use for customers (Please note that you will need to sign up to BP pulse and use the BP pulse app to start a charge session in order to take advantage of free charging).
How to spot a BP Pulse destination charge point
Currently, BP Pulse have two types of destination chargers, both are untethered meaning that you will need to bring your own charging cable.
The first one is wall mounted and has a white horizonal oval shape with two charging ports on each side.
The second design is floor mounted and resembles a road ‘bollard’ with a black paint colour.
Rolec Destination Charging (VendElectric)
Rolec is probably most well known for making boat and caravan electricity points, however, the Boston based manufacturing company has been steadily gaining a foothold in the EV charging market.
Rolec makes a variety of charge points ranging from rapid charge points to lamp post chargers. You can usually identify a Rolec charge point by the big and bold “Rolec EV” logo written across the front.
Depending on the location, Rolec has a different price per kW rate ranging from free upwards so it’s prudent to check the price rate of the charger before you arrive at your destination. A lot of Rolec's public charge points cost around 35p per kW however, which is the price we will be using.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 7.30p | £18.55 | £7.30 per trip |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 8.33p | £14.00 | £8.33 per trip |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 9.56p | £15.57 | £9.56 per trip |
Rolec Locations
Rolec charge points can be found in many locations including supermarkets, shopping centres and council-owned car parks across all four countries of the UK. You can even find their charge points in Ireland, although this is very recent with only Carraroe and parts of Dublin currently having them.
Rolec also leases their charge points to many workspaces including logistics depots where fleets use them to charge their courier vehicles. This means that if there are charge points where you work, there’s a good chance that they are made by Rolec.
How to spot a Rolec Charge point
Rolec makes many types of charging stations ranging from bollard style charge points to wall chargers and even lamp post chargers. Their colour scheme is usually black or white with the Rolec logo in green.
Rolec’s bollard chargers are normally found in car parks and usually stand at around 1.5 metres tall and have one to two charging cable sockets located either on the front or either side of the charge point. Some also have a light on top so that you can see them at night or when visibility is low.
Rolec wall chargers (known as the WallPod: EV) are untethered and sit on the wall portrait with either one or two charging ports. Colour-wise, Wall-mounted Rolecs wall chargers come in either white, black or grey all with green accents.
Rolec lamppost chargers come in two variants. The first variant is mounted to the lamppost and is a grey box-style charger with a green front that has a charging cable port at the bottom. The second variant is built into the lamppost with only the instructions and charging port being noticeable from the outside.
Ubitricity Pay-as-you-go
Despite only being available in Greater London, Liverpool, Oxfordshire and Portsmouth, Ubitricity, who is owned Shell, is one of the UK’s largest destination charger networks with 100s of chargers located around the London area alone. Ubitricity specialises in making lamppost and bollard chargers with their aim being to offer EV drivers without a driveway a charging solution.
Due to sharing power with what they are mounted to (either being a lamp post or bollard), Ubitricity’s charge points typically charge at 3.6 to 7.2kWh adding around 11 to 21 miles per hour of charge.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 6.68p | £16.96 | £6.68 per trip |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 7.62p | £12.80 | £7.62 per trip |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 8.74p | £14.24 | £8.74 per trip |
Ubitricity Locations
Despite only being available in Greater London, Liverpool, Oxfordshire and Portsmouth, Ubitricity, who is owned by Shell, is one of the UK’s largest destination charger networks with 100s of chargers located around London and surrounding areas alone.
When in one of the above places, you will find an Ubitricity charge point on roads with street parking spaces both in residential and public areas.
How to spot an Ubitricity charge point
Ubitricity has three styles of charging points, these are:
Simplesocket Lamppost: These charge points are installed into a street lamppost with only a charging gun socket sticking out making them potentially hard to spot for the untrained eye. If the charge point is available to charge on a pay-as-you-go usage, you should be able to see a small sign with a QR code and set of instructions on it mounted above the charge point.
Simplesocket Wallbox: Simplesocket Wallbox charge points are Ubitricity’s wall-mounted charge points. To spot these charge points, look out for a green rectangle above a charging cable socket.
Simplesocket Bollard: These charge points as the name suggests, are shaped like traffic bollards with a single port on the front for inserting your charge cable.
Tesla Destination Charger
When it comes to charging networks, Tesla is probably most well known for operating the world-famous Supercharger network. But, what is probably not-so-well-known however is that Tesla also has a destination charger network.
Currently operating exclusively for Tesla vehicles, Tesla’s destination charge points are located in various long-stay places including hotels, motorway stops and outside restaurants. Unlike the Supercharger network, Tesla’s destination chargers are free to use which makes them the perfect charging option for Tesla owners who need to recharge their vehicle after a long journey.
Charging speed at Tesla’s Destination charging network varies between 7kW and 22kW depending on the property it is situated at.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Tesla Destination charger Locations
Just like their Supercharger network, you can find Tesla’s destination charge points all over most of Europe and most developed countries. You can even find a couple of Tesla’s destination charge points in the Orkney Islands!
The most common place that you will find a Tesla Destination charge point is outside hotels and Inns but they are also present in other places such as Motorway stops and airports.
How to spot a Tesla Destination charge point
For those of you who own a Tesla Wall Connector, spotting a Tesla Destination charge point will be easy as they both look the same.
For those of you who don’t know what the Tesla Wall connector looks like, Tesla Destination charge points are medium-sized rectangular units that come in either white or grey depending on what generation the charger is. The charging units themselves can sit on either a plinth or a wall with a charging cable wrapped around it.
Swarco Destination Charging
Swarco is an Austrian manufacturing company that have been well-established in the public EV charging market for a number of years. When it comes to destination charging, Swarco are well established with charge points located across most of mainland Britain
Most of Swarco's destination charge points charge at a rate of up to 7kW, which is around the same speed as most home charge points. Some however will charge up to 22kW but this depends on the location of the charging station.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 5.22p | £13.25 | £5.22 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 5.95p | £10.00 | £5.95 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 6.83 | 11.13 | 6.83 |
Swarco EV charge point Locations
Swarco in the UK works with local councils and as a result, the most common place you are likely to find a Swarco destination charging station is outside community centres and in government-owned car parks throughout the mainland of the UK.
How to spot a Swarco charge point
For destination charge points, Swarco uses a ‘bollard’ style of EV charger that is either coloured white and black or white and purple depending on the location. Located on the front at the top of the charge point, you will find the Swarco logo if it’s the black and white version or the eVolt (the name of the software provider Swarco uses to manage charge sessions) logo. Below the logo on the front, you will see a small screen for displaying information as well as A and B markers with an RFID card reader in the middle (this is for scanning charge cards and cannot accept contactless payments). On each side of the charge point, you will find a charging cable port for connecting your EV’s charging cable.
Mer Charging
Mer, who is owned by Statkraft (A Norwegian state-owned energy generation manufacturer), prides itself on being one of the most eco-conscious charge networks on the market. Not only do they exclusively use 100% renewable energy power their charge points but they also team up and support a variety of climate activism companies such as Ecosia and Rewilding Britain. Even the charge tags Mer provides to customers are made from recycled bottle caps!
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 6.26p | £15.90 | £6.26 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 7.14p | £12.00 | £7.14 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 6.26 | £15.90 | £6.26 |
Mer Destination charging Locations
As of writing this, Mer charge points can only be found in a handful of counties including County Durham, Greater London, Lincolnshire, Dorset and Berkshire.
Mer works with local councils and as a result, their destination charge points are almost exclusively found in car parks of town/city centres, train stations and council buildings.
How to spot a Mer Charge Point
For destination charging, Mer uses a “wall-mounted” style charge point that is either attached to the wall or mounted on a plinth depending on where the EV charger is situated.
The EV charger itself is usually white and is about the same size as a small post box. On the front of the charge point, you will find a screen for displaying information, an RFID reader (Please note that some can accept contactless payment while others can’t) and two charging ports for plugging in your EV.
Alfa Power Destination Charging
Alfa Power is a Leeds based charging network that operates a network of both rapid and destination charge points.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 6.26p | £15.90 | £6.26 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 7.14p | £12.00 | £7.14 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 6.26 | £15.90 | £6.26 |
Alfa Power Locations
Like a lot of charge networks, Alfa Power works with local councils and places their car chargers in communal areas such as car parks and near places of interest. Alfa Power does also partner with private companies too however and as a result, you can find their charging stations conveniently placed in locations such as hotels, inns and even leisure centres.
How to spot a Alfa Power charge point
Alfa Power’s destination charge points are bollard style standing around 1.5 metres tall with a black and grey colour scheme. On the front of the charge point, you will see an RFID reader (this cannot read contactless payment devices) at the top with two LED light strips that travel from the top to the bottom on each side which indicates various statuses. On each side of the charge point, you will find a charging cable port for connecting your electric vehicle.
RAW Charging Destination Charging
Acquired by RAW Charging in November 2021, the LiFe network operates a reasonably sized destination charging network focusing that primarily focuses on fitting EV charging points in the Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle areas.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 5.63p | £14.31 | £5.63 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 6.43p | £10.80 | £6.43 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 7.37p | £12.02 | £7.37 |
RAW Charging Locations
When it comes to destination charging, LiFe mostly occupies the North of England with the highest concentration of their destination EV chargers being located in Merseyside.
When it comes to particular locations, RAW partners with a lot of top brands including to deliver EV charging to their customers, these brands include Travelodge, Greene King, Q-Park and Cardiff Airport. RAW also installs workplace EV chargers as well as public ones.
How to spot a RAW Charging charge point
RAW has three types of destination charge points, two are tethered (meaning that a charging cable is permanently attached to the charging unit) while the third is untethered (meaning that the charge point has a cable port for attaching charge cables). These are:
CPF32
These free-standing tethered charge points are designed for fleet and residential block use meaning that you are unlikely to see these charge points on your travels unless you drive fleet vehicles or live in a residential block such as an flat complex. At the top of the charge point you will see two cradles which house two type 2 charging cables. In most cases CPF32 charge points are coloured orange.
CP4100
Like the CP32, the CP4100 is a tethered charge point that can be found mounted to a wall or pole, however, unlike the charge point above, the CP4100 has a screen and RFID reader with two charging cables cradled either side. The CP4100 is also three-phase compatible meaning that it can charge at a rate of up to 22kW depending on where it is situated. In terms of looks, the pole that the charge point sits on is blue by default (although it could be a different colour depending on what business it is situated in). The charging unit itself with its screen and RFID reader is black in colour and mounted in the middle of the pole.
CP4300
The CP4300 is the only untethered charge point RAW makes and is essentially identical to the CP4300 but with cable ports in place of cable cradles on either side of the charging unit.
Source London (Pay-as-you-go)
With over 1000 destination charge points conveniently placed around Greater London, Source London is probably one of the most easily accessible charging networks in the UK's capital.
The rate shown here is for the pay-and-go tariff however Source London also offers monthly subscription packages with cheaper rates for anyone who finds themselves using their charge points frequently.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 16.48p | £42.87 | £16.48 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 18.81p | £31.60 | £18.81 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 21.57p | £35.16 | £21.57 |
Source London Locations
Source London, as the name might let on, is a charging network exclusive to London. The highest concentration of Source London’s charge points can be found in the city centre with the distance between each charge point getting wider the further you get towards the outskirts of Greater London.
Source London is a kerbside charging network, meaning that you will find their charge points next to on-road public parking spaces.
How to spot a Source London charge point
Source London currently make one bollard style charge point.
Standing at around one and a half metres, Source London charge points are primarily coloured Black or white however green ones do also exist. On the top of the charge point, you will find a screen for showing information as well as an RFID reader for scanning your Source London card if you have one. On the front of the charge point near the top, you should see a holster that holds a Type 1 cable along with a type 2 charging port next to it.
Connected Kerb
Connected Kerb are a destination charging network that offers a range of on-street and off-street charge point solutions to local councils, workplaces and public locations such as hotels, leisure parks and shopping centres.
When it comes to making their EV charge points, Connected Kerb builds their units with a power and data pack underground which allows for additional module support such as parking management sensors and varied methods of payment which not only makes them customisable but also very future proof.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 5.22p | £13.25 | £5.22 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 5.95p | £10.00 | £5.95 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 6.83p | £11.13 | £6.83 |
Liberty Charge (Pay-as-you-go)
Liberty Charge is an on-street charging network that specialises in providing charging solutions to EV drivers who don't have access to off-street private charging. Part of the Virgin Media group, Liberty Charge is mainly present in London with over 100 charge points sitting on the capital's roads. Outside of London, you will currently only be able to charge at a Liberty Charge charging point in Northampton.
Please note: If you are using Liberty Charge's pay as you go tariff, you will be charged a £1.50 connection fee. Liberty charge also charges an idling fee of 8p per every minute that your car is plugged in but not charging. This idle fee is only applicable between the hours of 9:30am and 6:30pm.
Vehicle | Battery Size (kWh) | Range (WLTP) | Pence Per Mile | Single Charge | Per 100 mile trip |
Tesla Model 3 SR+ | 55 | 254 | 8.97p | £22.79 | £8.97 |
Nissan Leaf 2019 | 40 | 168 | 10.24p | £17.20 | £10.24 |
MG ZS EV | 44.5 | 163 | 11.74p | £19.14 | £11.74 |