Charging an electric vehicle (EV) can take longer than filling up petrol and diesel cars. And sometimes, it can take a little more planning too.
But public charging networks are growing every day, and the battery range of cars is getting better!
Whether you’re a first-time owner or a seasoned EV enthusiast, we explain all you need to know about how to charge an electric vehicle.
How electric vehicle charging works
Chargers pull electric current from the grid and send it to an EV through a connector or plug.
The EV then stores that electricity in a battery pack to power its electric motor.
How to charge an EV
Charging your battery is simple:
- Find a charger, whether that’s at home or a public charge point. If you’re at a public charger, you’ll need to follow the on-screen instructions and pay.
- Open the charging flap and insert the plug into it.
- Leave the plug until you’re charged up enough.
- Remove the plug, return it to the charge point and close the flap.
Where can I charge my car?
There’s lots of places where you can’t charge your EV. It all depends on what’s easier for you and when you need to charge it!
Charging at home
Charging at home is the most convenient and cost-effective way to recharge your EV.
You might be able to get a government grant to install a home EV charger (also known as a wall box), usually rated at 3 kilowatts (kW) or 7kW.
You can plug electric vehicle chargers into a standard three-pin plug at home. But it takes longer to charge.
There are two types of home electricity tariffs:
- some offer cheaper electricity overnight, which is ideal for EV owners
- others are single-rate tariffs, where you pay the same rate throughout the day, but it's sometimes discounted if you drive an EV
Get in touch with your own energy supplier to find out more about your electricity rates.
Charging using a public connection
If you don’t have off-street parking, you might not be able to charge your EV at home.
That means you might need to use EV charging points on the street, or public chargers at service stations and supermarkets.
On the plus side, these chargers tend to be faster than ones at home.
Remember, the Highway Code says you need to try avoid trip hazards by keeping the charging cable out of the way of pedestrians.
Park close to the charger and use a warning sign if it’s needed.
Charging an EV at work
Lots of organisations have installed charging stations for staff to use while they’re working.
There’s also an incentive for businesses, charities and local authorities to switch company cars to electric through the Workplace Charging Scheme.
The scheme helps reduce carbon emissions and upfront installation costs.
How to find a public charging point
Public charging points are a lot more common now!
At the end of December 2025, there were 87,796 charging points across the UK, across 45,033 charging locations, according to the Zap-Map database.
That’s 19% more since December 2024.
AC or DC?
Electric vehicles use two kinds of fuel: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
The power that comes from the grid is always AC, so EVs are fitted with a converter (or onboard charger), which converts AC to DC.
It then feeds it into the battery – this is how ‘slow’ home charging works.
Faster public chargers use DC, which bypasses the converter altogether so the charge can go directly into the battery.
This speeds up the charging process, which is why it's called fast, rapid or ultra-rapid charging.
How much does it cost to charge an EV?
How much you pay to charge your EV depends on where you plug in and the cost of electricity. As a rule, faster chargers cost more.
For example, Zap-Map shows pay-as-you-go rates can reach 89p per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in the UK. Rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers are usually the most expensive.
At home, tariffs are around 28p per kWh, making home charging the cheaper option. Prices still vary depending on the energy provider and wholesale costs.
Remember, the government sets an energy price cap, which is the maximum a household can pay for their energy in a year. This only applies to household energy though, not public charging.
If you rely on rapid chargers, you might not save much on running costs. In fact, charging away from home can cost more than running a petrol or diesel car.
How do I pay for charging?
Some charge points accept contactless credit or debit card payments, plus ApplePay, Google Pay and Android Pay. It’s very rare to find a charge point that accepts cash payments.
There are lots of public charge point networks in the UK, including:
- Pod Point
- Ionity
- BP Pulse
- Gridserve
- Osprey
- ChargePlace Scotland
Access to charging is usually through a radio frequency identification (RFID) card or a smartphone app like Chargepoint.
Some providers also have roaming agreements, meaning you can access a larger charger network from where you are.
How long does it take to charge an EV?
How long it takes to charge your EV depends on a few things.
Battery size
Battery size and power are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The higher the number, the bigger the battery – and the longer it’ll take to recharge.
For context, cars with a range of 150–200 miles usually have batteries around 50kWh.
Cars with a range of 300 miles or more tend to have batteries of 77.4kWh and above.
Electric current
It also depends on how much electric current your car can handle – some cars can take more, some less.
Charger speed
Faster chargers cut down your charging time. The higher the kW, the quicker the charge. They range from about 3kW to 350kW.
Ultra-fast chargers (like those from Tesla or Ionity) are only available at public charging stations.
Home chargers aren’t super powerful, so don’t expect the fastest speeds at home.
Current battery level and target charge
Topping up is quicker than a full charge.
It also depends how much you want to charge your car – most people go for 80%, but you can go to 100%.
Should you charge to 80% or 100%?
Unless you're charging overnight at home, it's recommended to only fast charge to 80%.
That’s because charging rates slow down dramatically once it’s charged to 80%. Plus, the battery pack is likely to last longer if it’s kept below 100%.
You can learn more about the ins and outs of EVs in our electric vehicle mythbuster.
Types of electric vehicle chargers explained
- Three-pin plug – a three-pin charger is useful if you arrive somewhere and there’s no dedicated charger, like a friend’s house or holiday home. Manufacturers don't recommend it for using every day.
- Type 1 – these have a five-pin design with a low AC output of between 3.7kW and 7.4kW. They can be used at home.
- Type 2 – these have a seven-pin design and can reach speeds of up to 43kW at public charge stations. As the most popular charger (which can be used at home), your EV will likely have this design.
- CCS – the Combined Charging System (CCS) is a rapid and ultra-rapid DC charging connector capable of charging speeds up to 350kW. It’s only available at public charging stations and has nine pins in two sections. The upper AC section has seven pins - the lower has two additional pins, enabling a DC connection for faster charging speeds.
- CHAdeMO – Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi established this Japanese DC charger. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Nissan Leaf are just some of the popular models that use CHAdeMO. It has a DC power rating of 50kW and can be used at home.
Are your home charging points insured?
Our comprehensive electric car insurance protects your charging cables and your home wallbox charger against accidental damage, fire and theft.
Remember, policy limits and exclusions apply. So, always check your policy book to see what you’re covered for!
Gareth Herincx
Motoring journalist
I'm an experienced journalist, digital editor and copywriter, now specialising in motoring. I’m editor of Automotive Blog and have worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online for household names including the BBC, GMTV, ITV and MSN. I’ve produced digital content in the financial sector for Lloyds Bank, Nationwide and the Money Advice Service. I'm married with two children and live near Bath in Somerset.
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