Cinch launches EV public charging service

Online car market cinch has partnered with Paua Tech to launch cinchCharge, providing access to over 18 charging networks and more than 20,000 public charging points, through one app and with one access card. The service comes with no joining fee or subscription for customers who have previously purchased, or are purchasing an EV from cinch.co.uk.

The launch comes following research that reveals that 39% of Brits would be more open to owning an EV if they could rely on a single public charging option.

The research, polling 4,000 UK adults, found the top issues with public changing were not knowing the number of available charging points at a charging station (57%), not knowing the charging options nearby (56%) and the speed of public changing (50%). cinchCharge users can see available charging points through the app and connect to Google Maps or Waze to navigate their way to the nearest charging points.

The research also revealed the challenges of using public charging stations. 46% of EV drivers polled said they find charging points are available half the time or less, and over a third (39%) have three or more different charging apps or cards in their wallet or phone. 73% of electric car drivers also spend more than two minutes setting up charging apps each time they visit public charging stations.

Abhishek Sampat, Head of EVs at cinch, says: “At cinch, we’re on a mission to make buying and owning a car faff-free. We know how confusing public charging can be if you’re not an EV driver already - different apps to download for access, knowing if a point will be available and compatible, and having to drive to find the appropriate station. We've launched cinchCharge to make it a faff-free experience, taking the stress away and offering thousands of charging points within one app and payment method."

The research also found that 52% of people are unsure about buying an electric car due to perceived issues with public charging. 37% of those experiencing ‘charging anxiety’ say this is due to a lack of knowledge about public EV charging, while 27% of Brits feel reluctant to buy an electric vehicle due to the concern about having the right payment option (app/card) on arrival at a charging station.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google App Store. Find out more information via