Satisfaction of public charging grows, survey suggests

Zapmap has unveiled the results of its comprehensive survey of electric vehicle (EV) drivers, which shows that overall satisfaction continues to improve.

While 79% of respondents have a dedicated home charger, 51% of EV drivers use the public network at least once per month, reflecting the continued importance of public infrastructure.  

Sixty-one per cent of respondents said public charging infrastructure had improved over the past year. This reflects both the improvement in reliability and the significant overall growth in charging infrastructure, which has increased by 38% over the last 12 months. However, average rating for public charge experience satisfaction was 64 out of 100 suggesting that there is still room for improvement.

Use of EV charging hubs has grown strongly in each of the last four years with 53% now reporting using them, up from 47% last year, highlighting their growing appeal as convenient en-route charging options. Motorway services remain the most popular charging locations, with 58% of respondents topping up there. Conversely, the use of supermarket car parks has dropped to 32%, diminishing in popularity as free charging options have been removed.

The growth in hub usage reflects the increase in availability of rapid and ultra-rapid charging hubs — defined as locations with six or more rapid (50kW-149kW) or ultra-rapid (150kW+) chargers — over the past year. Zapmap stats show that currently there are 486 rapid charging hubs across the UK which are open to all EVs. This represents an increase from  264 hubs at the end of 2023, meaning that there have been an impressive 222 new charging hubs made available across the UK since the beginning of the year.

Drivers gave their EVs an average satisfaction score of 87 out of 100, highlighting the cost-effectiveness (78%), environmental benefits (73%), and better vehicle performance (65%) as the key reasons for owning an EV. Fewer than 3% of EV drivers expressed interest in switching back to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, commented: “The UK’s public charging network is evolving rapidly to meet the needs of an ever-growing number of EV drivers, and this survey highlights the pivotal shifts shaping the future of mobility and charging. These insights provide guidance for businesses,local authorities, and charge point operators as they plan for the next phase of infrastructure development.

“With motorway services and EV charging hubs now dominating as the most popular charging locations, our survey data shows how driver preferences are aligned with infrastructure investment. As the UK transitions to electric, with now over 1.3 million BEVs on our roads, it’s  good to see EV drivers reporting an increase in satisfaction with the charging infrastructure, however to further improve on this, it is more important than ever for reliable, accessible, and efficient charging options to be available in the right locations to support this transformation.”