Zap-Map reveals UK's best EV charging networks

Tesla’s UK Supercharger stations have been highlighted as the best electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the UK, according to Zap-Map's annual satisfaction ranking.

The league table ranks the UK’s most popular EV charging networks based on data from Zap-Map's annual survey of EV drivers.

The results, based on a sample of more than 1,500 respondents, show that Tesla remains the country’s most appreciated EV charging provider.

“A new generation of drivers want to arrive at a charge point and be confident that it will be simple to use and a trouble-free experience. They are quick to pick up that different networks offer varying  levels of service, and will actively visit networks that provide a reliable and easy-to-use experience." Dr Ben Lane, co-founder and CTO, Zap-Map

It was in first place for all categories, with the exception of price. Here, it came second to ChargePlace Scotland where many chargers are free to use.

In second place overall, and the top place for multi-brand networks, is InstaVolt, which retains its position for the third year running.

Feedback from respondents highlighted the reliability of the InstaVolt chargers and the fact that there are generally two chargers at each location providing a level of redundancy. They also praised its simple and consistent PAYG access provided through contactless payment.

In third place, and greatly improving on its 2019 ranking, is Osprey (formerly Engenie) which was commended for a combination of reliable chargers, good visible locations, and easy payments using contactless and app access.

This year’s survey rates 16 charging providers which are ranked from a maximum of 5.0 stars down to the lowest ranking of 2.0 stars.

For those networks which EV drivers use regularly, respondents were asked to rate their overall satisfaction (using a 5-point Likert scale), and also their level of satisfaction in the four key areas of: reliability, ease of use, cost and facilities.

Dr Ben Lane, co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) at Zap-Map, said: “This year’s network rankings should focus the minds of all EV charging providers.

As the survey demonstrates, EV drivers are very clear about the factors that make for a good charging experience, with reliability and ease of use being key priorities.

“A new generation of drivers want to arrive at a charge point and be confident that it will be simple to use and a trouble-free experience. They are quick to pick up that different networks offer varying  levels of service, and will actively visit networks that provide a reliable and easy-to-use experience.

“The Zap-Map user rankings also highlight which networks urgently need to improve their charging services.

As the EV market moves from early adopters to the mass market, EV drivers just want to be charge without any fuss. Poor-performing networks will need to take a long, hard look at the quality of the services they offer if they want to retain their customers as the EV market grows apace.”

Compared with the previous ranking survey, Osprey (formerly Engenie) has leap-frogged five places to take third place, while bp pulse (formerly BP Chargemaster/ Polar) dropped from fifth to 13th place.

Swarco E.connect, meanwhile, entered the list for the first time in fifth position.

At the bottom of the table, Ecotricity’s Electric Highway network was ranked with the lowest score, one user commenting that “they are out of date and unreliable, with a monopoly on motorway site locations”, a sentiment which resonates with many Zap-Map users that rely on rapid charging at motorway services for longer journeys across the UK.

As part of the survey, EV drivers were also asked to rank the factors which were most important when choosing a charge point. Reliability remained the key factor (weighting 5.0), followed by ease of use (2.6), cost (2.3) and finally the local amenities at the charging location (1.0).

Zap-Map user ratings for EV charging networks in UK: