The Best Apps for Finding EV Charging Stations

The Growth of Public Charge Points

Since the early days of electric vehicles being on the road, more and more money has gone into improving the infrastructure. As such, there are now over 49,000 public charge points throughout the UK. Since July 2023, the number has increased by 12%. You can see how this has developed in the UK using the graph below.

The Best Apps to Find ‘Electric Car Charging Near Me’

Check out these EV charging apps to find the charging stations that work best with your EV car model, lifestyle, and location. You can also select your preferred payment methods and, of course, look for electric car charging near you.

1. PlugShare

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

PlugShare works well worldwide, so even if you rent an electric vehicle while on holiday, you can still search for ‘electric car charging near me’ and get a reliable answer. It features more than 250,000 charging stations and allows users to report even more.

This crowdsourcing technology ensures that the app stays up to date and accurate. You can even find information about long queues, waiting times, technological failures, and more valuable information.

In addition to searching for ‘electric car charging near me,’ you can also search for the type of charging station, including high power, residential, or public. You can also use the app to plan your route with its trip planning function.

2. Bonnet

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

Bonnet is an electric car charging app that works on a subscription-based model, and works with multiple charging networks. You can find all of the local charge points on a map and then monitor how much power you’re using over time.

When you’re looking for ‘electric car charging near me,’ you can adjust all of the search filters to fit your specific needs, so you don’t roll into an incompatible charging station. The app even allows you to charge remotely.

Check out your kWh used and how much you’ve spent, and you can also see how much CO2 you’ve saved in terms of number of trees, cow farts (seriously) and plane journeys. It has a simple interface that is easy to understand.

3. Zap-Map

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

The Zap-Map app is one of the most popular in the UK, helping drivers find electric car charging near me. That makes it a lot easier to plan long journeys and share information with other users, so you’re never left in the lurch. You can also use Zap Pay to pay for your charging on certain networks.

The app documents more than 19,000 locations across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, mapping more than 30,000 devices and 51,000 connectors. That means that the Zap-Map app shows more than 95% of the UK’s public charging points – it’s extremely handy.

4. Ecotricity

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

Ecotricity is the UK’s most popular green energy provider, as they use only solar, wind, and sea energy. Charging with Ecotricity gives you the confidence that you’re using emission-free energy sources.

The Ecotricity app is easy to use, but keep in mind that it will only lead you to Ecotricity branded charging stations. That said, you never need to look too far to find electric car charging near me with Ecotricity – they have a vast network of public charge stations at motorway service stations. They’ll soon add charging points on A roads and in city centres, so keep your eyes out.

5. ChargePoint

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

The ChargePoint app is a reliable choice for individuals and fleets alike, offering a lot of features for businesses and commercial vehicles. The app allows you to find hundreds of thousands of charging points across the UK.

It helps you find open charging stations and look at real-time maps that show queues and broken charging points. You can tailor your search results to only see certain stations that work with your car and find ‘electric car charging near me’ that fits your requirements.

The functionality is excellent, but the automatic billing system does have a bit of a learning curve. Once you get into the groove, use the auto top-off for convenient billing, especially if you have multiple users on one payment account.

6. Instavolt

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

Use the Instavolt app to identify all of the chargers on their network and finding electric car charging near me quickly and easily. You can also use the app to pay for a charge, view your charging history, and monitor your monthly spending.

You don’t need to register on the app – you can bypass the registration step and find a charge point when you need one. It’s easy to connect to the charger, but you do need to stay close by to check out the battery levels – the app doesn’t show this information.

While the interface is a bit dated, this app really does what it says on the tin, leading to its solid reviews on the Apple Store and Google Play.

7. Pod Point

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

Pod Point is a brilliant option if you also have an electric home charging station because you can integrate the information from multiple charging networks with home chargers. That removes the need for numerous charging apps, streamlining everything you need. It’s also a solid choice for businesses and commercial fleets, as you can control multiple vehicles and payments from one central user account.

It offers a neat and tidy user interface, making it extremely easy to use, especially for first-timers. You’ll get access to 6000+ charging bays across the UK, and you can schedule charges and keep track of spending.

8. Charge Your Car

Cost: £20 for the access card plus additional network charges

Android/iOS: Both

Charge Your Car is a UK-based app, so you know the information is always up to date and aimed specifically at local charging networks. To use this app, you’ll first need to get the access card that works alongside the app, which costs £20. You’ll also need to connect your debit card or bank details to the app so you can pay to access the network.

Paying to access the network seems like the service will be exceptionally better than the other free apps we’ve detailed, but this isn’t necessarily so. The other free apps we’ve listed above are just as practical and helpful.

The interface is a bit messy, with tiny text and poor colour contrast – this is definitely not an app for those with visual impairments.

9. Fastened

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

Fastened will help you find electric car charging near me with an emphasis on fast charging. It’s easy to use and get started – you just tap the yellow button in the middle of the main app page and add the code of your preferred charger.

You can also use the app to plan your journey and add stops along the way, telling the app what battery level you want to maintain along the way. It will also flag charging points along the way. We love the clean interface – this is an excellent app for anyone getting started.

10. Monta

Cost: Free

Android/iOS: Both

The Monta app includes lots of different charging networks and home chargers, with a solid user experience. Monta offers lots of features with a streamlined and straightforward to use app that comes with step-by-step instructions.

Plan your journey, pay for charging, and find electric car charging near me with no hassle. However, if you want a long journey with multiple stops, you’ll be better off with Fastened, as Monta only allows you to plot between two points. But as a solid all-rounder, we really like Monta’s functionality.

Apps Make It Easy to Find Electric Car Charging Near Me

As more of us make the switch to electric cars, finding an electric car charging near your location doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. The best apps for finding EV charging stations make it simple. Just make sure that the app of your choice includes the features you value most, including integration with your home charging station and route planning capabilities.

What features do you value most? Have a browse through these apps and find the best fit for your needs.

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