Skip advert
Advertisement

Best electric-car charging-point providers in the UK: Driver Power 2021

The Tesla Supercharger network has again topped Driver Power’s list of the best UK charging-point providers

Tesla Superchargers

The UK's electric and plug-in hybrid car owners have voiced their opinion on the country's charging-point providers in the 2021 Driver Power survey, and the Tesla Supercharger network has emerged on top after ranking in first place across all but one of the 10 categories considered.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with prices, charging speed and ease of use, as well as the location, presentation, lighting/security, reliability and number of charging-points operated by the networks they'd used. We also asked for feedback on customer-service levels and networks’ smartphone apps.

The only category the Tesla-exclusive Supercharger network didn’t grab the top spot in was location, but it still came third there and received an overall satisfaction rating of 83% – the only provider to achieve more than 80%.

Shell Recharge

Shell Recharge took second place this year and the title of best universal charging network, with drivers commending the network's smartphone app, ease of use, choice of locations and the speeds its 170 units offer. Although drivers weren’t as impressed by the Shell's prices, ranking it fifth in that category.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Falling from second position in 2020, InstaVolt finished third overall in 2021, likely due to driver’s displeasure at the network’s pricing, for which it was ranked dead last. Plus, with only CCS and CHAdeMO ports on InstaVolt’s units, some models – including myriad plug-in hybrids – aren't able to connect to its points.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Fourth through ninth positions were occupied by GeniePoint, Pod Point, Osprey (formerly Engenie), ChargePlace Scotland, BP Pulse and finally Ecotricity (now Gridserve), with the latter coming last in four of the 10 categories, and close to bottom for the remaining six.

Ecotricity

Drivers were particularly unhappy with the ease of use, condition and reliability of Ecotricity’s charging points, as well as the number of units it operates. However, the entire Ecotricity Electric Highway network was sold to Gridserve in 2021, and the new owner has pledged to replace all those old units, as well as construct 50 ultra-rapid charging hubs and 100 'Electric Forecourts' over the next few years. So we’d expect a much better performance from the revamped network in 2022.

The full list of the top nine UK charging-point providers, together with their satisfaction score, is as follows:

  1. Tesla Supercharger – 83%
  2. Shell Recharge – 79%
  3. InstaVolt – 77%
  4. GeniePoint – 75%
  5. Pod Point – 74%
  6. Osprey (formerly Engenie) – 69%
  7. ChargePlace Scotland – 68%
  8. BP Pulse (formerly Polar/Chargemaster) – 68%
  9. Ecotricity (now Gridserve) – 66%
Skip advert
Advertisement

Welcome one and all, I’m Ellis the news reporter on Auto Express, the brand’s former online reviews editor and contributor to DrivingElectric. I’m proud to say I cut my teeth reporting and reviewing all things EV as the content editor on DrivingElectric. I joined the team while completing my master’s degree in automotive journalism at Coventry University and since then I’ve driven just about every electric car and hybrid I could get my hands on.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Government EV chargepoint grant extended to drivers without a driveway
Person plugging an electric car into a charger at the roadside
News

Government EV chargepoint grant extended to drivers without a driveway

19 Mar 2024
Energy price cap to fall in April making 1,000s of electric cars 12% cheaper to charge
Kia EV9 charging
News

Energy price cap to fall in April making 1,000s of electric cars 12% cheaper to charge

23 Feb 2024
Free electric car charging from Octopus Energy as new ‘Power Pack’ tariff launched
Octopus
News

Free electric car charging from Octopus Energy as new ‘Power Pack’ tariff launched

15 Feb 2024
BT plans to upcycle 60,000 street cabinets into EV chargers
BT Green box charger
News

BT plans to upcycle 60,000 street cabinets into EV chargers

8 Jan 2024

Most Popular

Nissan’s masterplan: 6 new cars by 2026, including next-gen Micra, Leaf successor and revamped Juke,
New Nissan Future models - Picture 1
News

Nissan’s masterplan: 6 new cars by 2026, including next-gen Micra, Leaf successor and revamped Juke,

Nissan has set itself a target of introducing 30 new models globally over within the next two years
25 Mar 2024
New Genesis Neolun concept paves the way for the GV90 SUV
New Genesis Neolun concept - picture 1
News

New Genesis Neolun concept paves the way for the GV90 SUV

With a host of new technology, the Neolun is the brands first step towards a full-size electric SUV.
27 Mar 2024
Rolls-Royce Spectre review: almost the last word in fully-electric luxury
Rolls-Royce Spectre - front tracking
In-depth reviews

Rolls-Royce Spectre review: almost the last word in fully-electric luxury

The Spectre is Rolls-Royce’s admirable first step into the world of electric cars, but it’s not quite perfect
26 Mar 2024