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The best apps to find EV charging stations you can use in the UK (top 4)

June 1, 2023 /

It took a while for people to get on board with the idea of driving electric vehicles, especially here in the UK. But with more than a million EVs on UK roads, it seems that we've finally accepted that driving a battery-powered car is totally acceptable and actually pretty great.

But one thing which seems to afflict a lot of drivers who are new to EVs is a phenomenon known as "range anxiety". This is when a driver feels anxious about where the next charging point will be for their electric vehicle. Because although there are lots of petrol stations across the UK, there are far fewer charging points for EVs.

 

Luckily, there are lots of ways to alleviate this "range anxiety" while driving your EV, and one of the best ways is to download an app which shows you where these EV charging stations are located. There are lots of apps like this out there, so we thought it would be useful to round up the best apps you can download to find EV charging stations in the UK, let's get into it:

Zap-Map

With more than 30k reviews on the app store, Zap-Map is definitely one of the most popular apps for finding EV charging stations, and it's free to use. Once you've allowed the app to use your location (you can allow it to use your location while using the app or only once), you'll find EV charging stations in your area displayed on the map within the app. But if you're travelling somewhere and want to see where the EV charging stations are in that area, it's free to change your location and check other areas. There is a great filter option which allows you to search for specific types of connectors depending on what type of connector your EV uses, and you can also search for free charging stations or stations which accept contactless. Another great filter option is being able to see charging stations which can charge multiple EVs at once, which reduces the likelihood of having to wait to charge. You can use the app without creating an account, but if you're happy to register for free on the app then it'll give you some additional features, including the ability to speak with the community via the app and to even download receipts after using charging stations. We're very impressed with this app, learn more and download it from the Google Play Store here and the App Store here.
Zap-Map app

PlugShare

You can't use PlugShare without creating an account, but it only takes a few seconds and you can start using the app to find EV charging stations immediately. Once you load up the app, you'll be met with a map which displays all of the EV charging stations that the app can find. If you click on one of the charging stations then you'll be given some information about the station, such as what connection it has and when it opens and closes. Another interesting feature is the 'check-in' feature, which allows you to check-in at charging stations once you've used it. You'll also be able to see other users which have checked in at stations, which is quite useful as you can see what car they used and when they charged their car there. If you want, you can actually message these users to see what their experience was like at the EV charging station. It's an interesting but useful app, learn more and download it from the App Store here and the Google Play Store here.

PlugShare app

Pod Point

Pod Point is a brand of EV charging stations which has almost 2000 stations across the UK. The Pod Point app shows you where all of these charging stations are, so although you can't use this app to find all EV charging stations in the UK, it will show you very accurate information about the Pod Point stations. For this reason, it's a very useful app to have. We found the app really easy to use and it had a load of cool features. For example, if you give the app access to your location then you can get specific directions to a Pod Point station from wherever you are in the UK. Also, if you create a free account then you can track your Pod Point stats, which includes how much you've spent and when you last charged your vehicle using a Pod Point station.
Pod Point app
We really liked using this app and found it very useful, learn more and download it from the App Store here and the Google Play Store here.

Chargemap

The Chargemap app was one of the quickest to get started with - we opened the app and it immediately showed us the locations of EV charging stations in the area that we searched for. The search filters were also really great too - you can choose to only show charging stations with a specific charging power (ranging from 3kW to 350kW depending on the requirements of your vehicle) or with a specific connector. If you want to unlock all of the information about the charging stations displayed on the map then you need to sign up, which is free. Learn more and download it here from the Google Play Store and here from the App Store.
Chargemap

We hope this guide helps you to download an app which can find EV charging stations in your location and which helps you to plan your journeys better. Let us know if you've downloaded any of these apps or if you have any other suggestions for us! If you want to read similar guides, we have a guide about the best driving theory test apps you can download. 

Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.

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