The one thing everyone asks us about EVs is “where can I charge them?”

So, here’s our guide to just about everything you need to know about charging your EV.

If you’ve got off-street parking, install a charger at home

If you’ve got a garage or driveway, charging at home makes sense. It’s usually cheaper than using a public station (especially if you charge overnight). And it means you can set off with a full battery each morning. If you’re after a charger, we can recommend a few different suppliers that specialise in different areas/charging station types.

People often ask if they can just use a 3-pin plug instead. Technically, you can but it’s not the best way to charge. It takes much longer to top up (over 20 hours, compared to 7 hours with a typical home charger). It could put a strain on the energy supply to your home, too. Those poor plugs weren’t designed to power cars.

It’s easy to park and charge when you’re out and about

Q-Park have car parks in most big cities across the UK. They’ve got plenty of EV charging stations and if you’ll be parking there often, you can even get an EV season ticket.

NCP have plans to follow in Q-Park’s footsteps, so watch this space.

Lots of supermarkets have charging stations in their carparks, too. And if you shop at Tesco, it’s free to use their fast chargers. (They should be rolling their chargers out to 600 Tesco Extras and other large stores by the end of 2020.)

And if you’re having trouble finding a charging station near you, ZapMap’s got the latest list of every public charging point in the country. If you’re off on a road trip, don’t forget to plot out your charging stops before you go.

A 30-minute charge goes a long way

Charging stations can be slow, fast or rapid. Most public stations are fast. But if you’re in a hurry, look for a rapid station. You should be able to get to a 70% charge in half an hour.

Charge like a pro in public

Charging up in public for the first time? Master the art of the charge in five steps.

1. Park in the EV bay (unsurprisingly)
2. Download the app for the charging station’s network (you won’t have to do this for all networks – there will be instructions on the charging station)
3. Register your card if you need to (some stations let you pay with contactless; with others you pay as you go on the app)
4. Plug the charging station’s cable into your car and get on with your day
5. Keep an eye on the app – when you’re fully charged, get back on the road (or move to a normal parking space so other drivers can top up, too).

This is only going to get easier as all new rapid chargers should be contactless soon.

Pay up

How much you pay will depend on the charging station you choose and the network it’s on, but it’s usually between 25p-36p a minute.

If you think you’ll be charging on the go a lot, it’s worth subscribing to a network. By paying a little bit each month you’ll get better rates at the charging point and you won’t have to pay a connection fee each time you charge.