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Charging an electric car in the United Kingdom

22 September 2026 · 5 minute read

What to expect from public charging in United Kingdom: who runs the chargers, which plugs they have, how you pay, and what the long roads are like. The United Kingdom page has the live map and the count of sites by state or region.

The networks

The UK has one of the densest charging networks anywhere, run by many companies, and the motorway services have been rebuilt around it.

  • Gridserve runs the chargers at most motorway services, with ultra fast hubs at the busiest.
  • InstaVolt, Osprey, Ionity, MFG and Shell Recharge run rapid and ultra fast sites at forecourts, retail parks and towns.
  • Tesla Superchargers are widespread and many are open to other cars.
  • BP Pulse, Pod Point, char.gy and councils run most of the AC and lamp post chargers in towns.

Plugs

CCS2 for rapid charging and Type 2 for AC. Many rapid chargers also carry a CHAdeMO cable for older Leafs. Northern Ireland is the same as Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland uses the same plugs.

Paying

Easier than most countries: new rapid chargers must take a contactless bank card, and most already do, so you can charge on a network you have never used without its app. Apps still give better prices on some networks, and AC posts in towns usually want one.

Long drives

Motorways have ultra fast chargers at nearly every services, usually a dozen or more bays. The A roads through Wales, the Highlands and Cornwall are thinner but improving, and the towns have AC. Distances are short by Australian or American standards: London to Edinburgh is one stop for most cars. See cold weather for winter driving.

Belfast to Dublin is one road network on the planner: Northern Ireland is routed with Great Britain, and the crossing is a road, not a sea.

Find chargers

Every public site ChargeAlong knows about in United Kingdom is on the United Kingdom page, by state or region and town, with its plugs, its power and what drivers have said. For a long drive, the trip planner picks the stops for your car. And the road trip guide is what to do when you get to one.